


Lost Prince S1

by icyfox22



Series: Lost Prince [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, Series Rewrite, shance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-09-24 22:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17109572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyfox22/pseuds/icyfox22
Summary: Long ago, King Alfor sent his only son away with the Black Lion to protect Voltron from Zarkon's clutches. A small group of Alteans journeyed with the Altean Prince to a remote planet in an effort to rebuild their civilization, escape war and assist with hiding the Lion.Centuries have gone by and a new Prince is born to take his rightful place as the Prince of Altea and Future Black Paladin.With some bumps in the road along the way.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Alright!!!! Here we go with my newest project!!! This story is meant to be an ENTIRE series re-write of Voltron! No... this has nothing to do with how the series ended, it's actually a project I've had brewing since before S7. I chose to wait to get it out because I wanted to see how the show actually ended. 
> 
> That being said, I hope you guys like this story and stick with me through the whole thing because it is going to be a LOOOONG story! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at: artemiswinters.tumblr.com
> 
> Enjoy!

Sirens blare all around them as the Castle takes hit after hit. He stumbles into the bridge and spies Coran running about, struggling to check everything at once. His father, King Alfor, stands in the center of the room. He makes his way over.

“You called?”

“Akiva,” Alfor replies, turning to look at him, expression grim. His son stands tall before him. The two are nearly identical in appearance, though Akiva is lither, less filled out. Alfor knows, however, that his son is just as strong as him, and just as tactical as well. Allura may be too young to understand his decisions, but his oldest certainly will.

The ships jolts as it takes another hit. Coran scrambles back to the front of the bridge, brows furrowed in concentration as he reads the screens.

“We must hurry!” Coran shouts. “Zarkon is getting closer!”

“Akiva,” Alfor says, looking back down at his son. “I have a special task for you.”

“Where are the other Paladins?” Akiva asks, glancing once more around the room. His father sighs.

“They’ve gone to hide the Lions,” he says. “You too, must take the Black Lion and hide it away from Zarkon’s reach.” Akiva’s gaze slides past Alfor to Coran as he takes in the scene. He knows Zarkon is powerful, but to send their only chance at winning away?

“Please, my son,” Alford pleads, stepping down from the podium. He places a hand on Akiva’s shoulder. “You are the only one capable of piloting the Black Lion, you must use that connection and build a stronger bond with it. It’s the only way to protect it from Zarkon and give the universe a fighting chance.”

“And what of Allura?” he asks. “And the remaining Alteans? We can’t just leave them to die!”

“Those that have chosen to stay will remain here to hold off Zarkon as long as possible. Some have volunteered to go with you and help protect the Black Lion. They are down in the hangar, waiting to leave with you,” Alfor answers. The Castle shakes and the pair stumbles.

“We don’t have much time left!” Coran shouts, fingers flying across the screens. Akiva stares out at the ships growing closer. He watches one charge up its ion cannon.

“And where is my sister?” he asks. Alfor places both hands on his shoulders.

“There are many paths to take in life,” he says. “Allura has her own path to walk. I can only hope that one day your paths may cross again.” Akiva watches his father for a long moment, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“This is goodbye then,” he mutters.

“My journey may end here, but yours must continue so that one day Zarkon can be stopped.” Akiva sucks in a breath and pulls his father into a hug. Alfor returns the embrace quickly before they’re pulling apart and his son is disappearing down to the Black Lion’s hangar.

The hangar is full of Alteans of all ages, moving quickly back and forth as they load the Black Lion up with supplies for their journey. Akiva takes a moment to watch the organized chaos, wishing he had had time to prepare himself.

“My Prince.” A young Altean, no older than Allura, approaches him, bag in her hands. She bows and holds the bag out to him. “King Alfor requested we pack your most essential items for you.” He smiles and takes the offered item.

“Thank you,” he says before getting right down to business. “How close are we to departure?”

“We are loading the last of the supplies,” she responds. “Once everyone is on board we will be clear to leave.”

“Prepare to leave in five doboshes.” She nods and runs off. Akiva watches her go before looking up at the large sentient creature. The largest of the Lions towers over them all, mouth lowered to allow everyone access. A faint growl rumbles through his mind, and he knows it’s the Lion reassuring him. He knows it’s Black’s way of acknowledging and accepting the situation.

It’s Black accepting him fully as its new Paladin.

 

_They traveled by wormhole to a star system far, far away from war and landed on a young, primitive planet. The inhabitants, at first, were wary of the newcomers. They feared the Alteans’ strange technology, leagues ahead of their own. Soon, however, agreements were reached among all and treaties laid out to help the planet grow but also protect the system from the Galra’s looming threat._

_Many years passed, and the planet, known as Earth, grew. Prospered under the peaceful guidance of Altea’s Prince._

_Sadly, peace would not last and with the Prince’s passing, war reigned supreme across the land. Alteans learned all too quickly the folly of man and the greed of Mankind. They feared what would happen if war returned to their home, reminded all too much of the Galra’s destruction._

_Fearful of their home being destroyed, they fled and hid away where none would find them. War on Earth waged for years until finally, Akiva’s granddaughter stood up as a champion of peace. She followed in her grandfather’s footsteps and, with the help of the Black Lion, brought peace once more to Earth._

_The Black Paladin became a symbol of peace, and Alteans, warriors and protectors. Together, they-_

“Lance, what are you doing?”

A young boy sits by the window of the classroom, papers spilling off his desk. His white hair glints in the sun as his pencil scribbles across the page before him. His tongue pokes out the side of his mouth in concentration. Bright blue Altean marks rest on his cheeks. His feet swing back and forth, too short to reach the floor.

“Drawing,” he answers, pushing away his paper and starting on a new one.

“Maybe you want to do that later?” she suggests. He shrugs.

“I have to do it now,” he says, hand feverishly scrawling across the paper.

“And it can’t wait until recess?” He shakes his head and frowns, blue eyes scrunching up in frustration but never leaving the paper. The teacher sighs and steps over to his desk. “And why is that?”

“Because I’ll forget.”

“Forget?” she asks, confused. He nods. “Forget what?”

“What it’s showing me,” he answers, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He starts on a new picture, the old one fluttering off the desk.

“What it’s showing…” the teacher’s eyes follow the picture as it lands on the floor. She stares at it a long moment, taking in the old, scraggly looking cat. Her gaze takes in all the pictures around the desk then. They range from landscapes with strange flower and two moons, to hooded figures with strange masks.

Her attention lands on one particular piece. This one contains a young Altean with long, curly white hair. Her eyes remain closed and she slumbers inside some type of pod. A tiara circles her head.

Eyes wide, the teacher looks at all the other ones. Of the one of a planet long thought destroyed, yet here it is fully intact. An image of large creatures with purple fur, yellow eyes and sharp teeth. She looks at a picture, clearly of the Black Lion, and four other lions with it; below them the Paladins of old.

She sees a ship, sleek and elegant in design; one created to maneuver quickly through space. Another ship appears in a second picture, this one cut in half through some type of hole.

A prince with white hair and purple skin, gazes back at her, surrounded by four others.

“What are all of these?” she asks, but Lance shakes his head and continues to draw. “Lance?”

He breaks his pencil and rips through the paper but continues trying to draw. He drops the pencil and picks up another, shoving paper off his desk until he finds a new, clean piece.

“Lance!” The teacher tries grabbing his arm, but he shrugs her off, determined to see this one through as well. His hand slows as he begins to take his time with this one.

Slowly, a boy with big, yellow eyes, shaggy black hair and large, fuzzy ears emerges on the paper. Next to him is another boy, this one with a scar across his face and a splotch of white in his hair. He places the pencil tip on the paper and begins drawing another person but stops and drops the writing utensil.

Tears begin streaming down his face as he stares blankly at his desk. They drip onto the paper, smudging details on the drawing.

The nurse rushes in then, an Altean herself, long blue hair pulled back into a braid. She kneels beside the boy and leans over to try and catch his attention.

“Lance?” she asks, voice gently. He continues to stare down, eyes seeing something that nobody else can see. Carefully, she places a hand on his shoulder and give a small shake. It snaps him out of whatever trance he had been in. He blinks and looks over at her.

“There you are,” she says, smiling. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I…” Confused, he looks at all the pictures around his desk, and then at his teacher. Weren’t they talking about something important? Why is everyone staring at him? His head swims, trying in vain to piece together something he can’t seem to remember. It dances at the edge of his mind, just out of reach.

“Why don’t you come lay down in my office for a bit?” the nurse suggests. His teacher begins picking up the pictures, haphazardly stuffing them into a neat pile. He watches her for a moment before slowly rising out of his seat.

The whole class watches him gather up his things and disappear out of the room.

 

The day Krolia shows up is one Lance will never forget. It had been a day like any other, up until Galra cruisers are spotted by Earth’s moon.

Lance is with the Black Lion when the sirens go off. He jumps up, startled, and runs over to the wall. There he activates a switch that sends the Lion further into the ground and seals it off from danger. He watches it go before running out of the cave himself and finding his way home as quickly as possible. Once he’s out, the path itself closes giving the outward appearance of being a rocky wall.

His half-sister finds him wandering the halls of their home. Her short, curly brown hair bounces in the air with every step she takes. Deep, dark blue Altean marks are the only indication that they’re even remotely related; a result of his Altean mother marrying their Altean father after their human mom passed away. His sister stops him in the hall.

“Everyone’s been looking for you, you know,” she says.

“I was busy,” he mutters. She eyes him skeptically.

“With?”

“Lance! Veronica!” The pair jumps and slowly turn to face their mother. She stands at the end of the hall, hands on her hips and frowning at the both of them.

“Can’t you hear the sirens? Now is not the time to be playing around,” she hisses. “Come here at once!”  

They slowly skulk over to their mom and step into the security room with her. She mutters to herself, chastising them both as the door shuts with an audible click. Lance’s other half siblings sit around the room with Altean military personnel and government officials.

All eyes remain on the screen on the far side of the room. Footage of three Galra cruiser plays on a loop.

“They triggered our alerts after entering the inner ring of the solar system,” a Garrison official say, voicing somewhat distorted over the phone. The footage changes then to show one ship shooting down the other two. “For some reason though, this one shot the others down. It is currently enroute to Earth as we speak.”

“Have you sent out a hailing frequency?” Lance’s mom asks.

“They’ve been unresponsive to all our attempts. Would you like us to shoot it down?” She stares at the screen for a long moment, weighing the pros and cons.

“Disable the craft but do not kill,” she answers. “I wish to speak with whoever is in that cruiser.”

“Understood.”

It seems like forever to Lance before the Garrison is arriving with their prisoner.

Lance stands with his mom as they bring the Galra inside. He watches, curious as she stops before his mom, handcuffed and disarmed.

Her skin is purple. Hair a deep, dark purple on top and a magenta below. Her ears are pointy like an Altean’s. The sclera of her eyes is yellow with her irises matching her skin. She has two dark stripes on her face, one on each cheek.

She kneels before Lance’s mother.

“Queen Ourania,” she says. “I am Krolia of the Blade of Marmora.”

“And what business do you have on Earth, Krolia of the Blade of Marmora?” his mom asks.

“We picked up frequencies similar to that of the Lions of Voltron. I was sent on a scouting mission with the Galra to locate the source,” Krolia replies. The Garrison officials beside her raise their weapons, preparing to shoot if necessary. Ourania raises her hand, silently asking them to hold their positions.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asks.

“I believe there is a Lion located on this planet,” Krolia says. “And seeing Alteans here only confirms my suspicions.”

“Alteans came to this planet many years ago to be  _ away _ from Zarkon and his war,” Ourania confirms. “We have found peace and prosperity with the natives of this planet…. And your presence is a clear threat to that peace. Are we meant to leave you free or shoot you where you stand?”

“I shot down the only ones who will bring harm,” Krolia argues.  

“To lull us into a false sense of security, perhaps,” The queen responds.

“I want to help.”

“And why should I believe that?” Krolia huffs, expression conflicted as she weighs her options. She slowly shifts her attention to the boy at his mother’s side, eyes soft  yet tightwith worry. Lance watches her back, a sense of comfort washing over him. Something tells him she’s friendly… but still… his mom seems hesitant to trust her. Maybe there’s something he doesn’t know?

Krolia sighs in defeat, realizing she has no other choice.

“The Blade of Marmora i-”

“I know of the Blade,” Ourania snaps. “Do not recite their creed to me. My ancestors were there at their founding.”  

“Then you should know of what we do,” Krolia says instead. “I have been working undercover in Zarkon’s ranks to put a stop to his empire.”

“What proof do you have, then, of your allegiance to the Blade?”

“My blade,” Krolia responds, gesturing to the guard on her left. The Garrison official shift, eyeing her warily.

“Do you have her blade?” The queen asks him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he responds. “But… we removed it from her when she landed.”

“Give it to her.”

“Bu-”

“Anyone can claim to have a blade,” she says. “Only true members of the Blade, however, can activate them. Please hand it to her.” Hesitantly, he pulls the blade out and hands it over.

Lance watches, eyes wide, as the knife glows and grows longer. When it finally stops glowing a sword rests in her hand.  

“Lance,” she says and the boy jumps. He looks up at her with wide, blue eyes. She smiles and affectionately runs a hand through his hair. “Sometimes for the sake of peace, one must fight. I know that your lessons have said some bad things about the Galra... Zarkon’s reign will forever be a dark stain on their long history. It’s important to know, though, that even Alteans aren’t perfect. The Galra are not inherently bad, they have become misguided. It’s important to know that too… and to remember that they were once our allies and they can be our allies again.” She looks to Krolia and then the guards.

“Release her,” she says to them. “She can be trusted.” The Garrison officers, lower their weapons as Krolia turns to be released from her handcuffs. Ourania looks back to her son. His eyes swim with confusion and curiosity. A desire to know more, lurks in the depths of his conflicted gaze. She smiles softly.

“There are pieces of history not even your teachers know about,” she tells him. “Secrets that only those of Akiva’s heritage are privy to, and I think it’s time you learn about his involvement with a young prince and their mission to take down a corrupt leader.”

 

The first time Lance meets Keith, he’s a bit baffled. The boy, a hybrid of Galra and human has purple skin and large, fuzzy purple ears. The sclera of his eyes are yellow and his irises purple much like his mom. He gets the black hair from his father though it’s far thicker and coarser than any human. His canines are sharper than a human’s but duller than a Galra’s. His nails are as sharp as a cat’s.

Keith is eight when Krolia finally decides he’s old enough to meet Lance. She brings Keith over to Lance's home.

“Lance,” Krolia says crouching down to his level. Hand placed on Keith's back, she pushes him toward Lance. “This is Keith. Do you remember him? He was very little last time you met.”

Lance looks the young half-Galra over, curious. Last time they met, Keith's ear were huge. Now he seems to have at least grown into them. They twitch as his gaze looks the young boy all over.

“His face looks weird,” Keith mutters, and Lance jerks back, surprised and hurt. “What are those things on his face?” Lance feels his face heat up, no doubt turning red. Why would he say that?! Keith has marks on his face too!

“Keith…” Krolia admonishes.

“Yeah well…” Lance sputters. He looks Keith up and down. “At least I don't have elephant ears!”

“Lance!” Ourania snaps. She smacks him on the back of the head. “Be nice!”

“He started it!” Lance insists with a pout, as he glowers at Keith. Keith, meanwhile, sniffles, ears falling as his eyes fill with tears.

“Momma…” he mutters, voice wavering. He turns into Krolia's waiting embrace and buries his face in her chest. Lance averts his gaze, feeling guilty for upsetting the younger kid.

“I'm sorry…” he mumbles, eyes fixed on the floor. Keith hiccups in his mom's embrace. “I said I was sorry! And I mean it!” He looks at his mom and then Krolia. “Can we go play now?”

Ourania sighs and shakes her head.

“It's okay,” Krolia says, rubbing Keith's back. “Keith’s just a lil sensitive. Why don't we all have a snack and let Keith calm down and then you can both play?”

“Okay,” Lance replies. Keith's response is muffled by his mom, but he ultimately agrees as well.

Lance spends the rest of the afternoon showing Keith all his Legos.

 

“A bodyguard?”

“Yes. We have received word from the Blade that Galra activity has increased nearby.”

“But Altea is the most protected place on Earth,” Lance protests. “And I never leave the planet. Why would I be in any danger?” His mom sighs, cupping his cheek gently and rubbing her thumb across his marks. Her face creases with worry.

“My son,” she says. “Crown Prince of Altea. Descendent of the Lost Prince. Future Paladin of th-“

“No!” Lance tears himself away from her, hands covering his ears and eyes squeezing shut. He paces away, trying to push down his rising anxiety.

“Lance…”

“I’m not…” he mutters. He stops by a window and gazes down at the Black Lion’s resting place. “I can’t be…” He _knows_ he’s not the right person for it.

“The Lion communicates with you, Lance,” his mom points out. “It-“

There’s a knock on the door. She sighs. It seems this conversation will have to wait.

“Come in,” Ourania calls. The door slides open moments later. A boy, not much older than Lance, steps into the room. He has a tuft of black hair sticking up on his forehead. It reminds Lance of a bunny’s tail. Lance’s eyes roam down and then up the other male’s body, gaze landing firmly on his pecs before returning to his stormy grey eyes.

He raises a brow at the young Altean, giving him a knowing look. It has Lance blushing all the way down his neck.

 “Lance,” his mom says, oblivious to the exchange, and looking to her son. “This is Takashi Shirogane. He is our official representative from the Galaxy Garrison and will be acting as your bodyguard starting today.”

“Please,” he says, holding a hand out to Lance. “Call me Shiro. It’s nice to meet you.” Lance stares at the hand, then at his mom and finally at Shiro. His face twists in annoyance. Shiro can’t possibly be that much older than him, yet he’s expected to be his body guard? How does that make sense?

“Shiro is considered a prodigy among the Garrison,” his mom offers. “He’s exceeded his peers in all areas of study and training and comes with high recommendations among all personnel. Given his age and experience, we believe he is best suited for the job and will become a valuable asset to your team. Not to mention…” She gives her son a knowing look. “I’m sure you two will become great _friends_.” Lance huffs, frowning at his mom as his face grows warm once again, before relenting and taking Shiro’s hand into his.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Shiro.”

 

“I’m really sorry but… I have to go.”

“Can you at least wait until morning? To let Keith say a proper goodbye?”

Their voices are muffles but Keith can hear every word with his ear pressed against the door. He was supposed to be asleep hours ago. So deep in slumber that nothing could wake him. Nothing except the sound of his mom coming home. He hears her sigh.

“They need me to leave as soon as possible,” she says. “This is an urgent mission an- “

“So nobody else can go on it?” There’s a long pause before Krolia finally responds.

“Kolivan needs me on this one.” Keith reaches up, carefully turns the knob, and opens the door just a crack. From his spot, he can see both parents standing in the kitchen. His dad leans against the counter, expression grim and cheeks wet. His mom’s back is to him, but he can tell that her arms are at least crossed. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

His dad sighs.

“What am I supposed to tell Keith?”

“I know it’s not ideal,” she replies. “But Keith is smart, and this isn’t forever. I’ll be back some day.”

“You should at least say goodbye.”

“I don’t want to wake him…” she says, glancing briefly behind her. They lock eyes and she tenses before slowly turning around and walking over to his door. Scared, Keith quickly shuts the door and runs back to his bed, jumping in and covering himself with his blanket. He lays back down and pretends to sleep.

The door opens moments later.

“Keith…” He squeezes his eyes tight, holding his stuffed hippo close. The bed dips with his mom’s weight. She places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re awake,” she murmurs.

He blinks his eyes open and looks back at her.

“Why are you up so late?” she asks.

“Are you really leaving?”

“It’s only for a little while…”

“Oh…” He looks at his hippo and then back at her. “How long is that?” She shakes her head.

“I don’t know, dear.”

“Oh… Can we still go see a movie this weekend?” he asks, eyes hopeful. Her eyes brim with unshed tears as she gazes down at her only child. She brushes his hair out of his face.

“I’ll be sure to meet you and daddy there, okay?” she replies, unable to speak the truth. “You can pick out the popcorn and everything.” Keith looks down at his hippo with tired eyes. He blinks himself awake and yawns before shoving the stuffed animal towards her.

“To help you sleep,” he explains.

“But don’t you need him?” He shakes his head.

“You can have him, but you have to promise to bring him back, okay?” Krolia smiles and leans down to place a kiss on his forehead. She holds up her pinky. Keith looks at it and hooks his own pinky around her. Krolia gives their hands a little shake.

“It’s a promise.”

 

He stares at the crystal in his hand. The top of it is wrapped up with a cord long enough to fit around his neck.

“My mom helped me make it,” Lance explains. “And I’m not saying you should be ashamed of who you are but… I know the other kids have been mean to you… um… yeah… it just… if you put it on, it’ll make you… look… human….” Lance huffs. It made so much more sense when his mom explained it to him…  Keith frowns, brows creasing as he looks up at the young prince.

“I don’t need help,” he grumbles, looking back at the crystal.

“We’ve seen the scratches, Keith,” Lance replies. “And my mom says you’ve been having a hard time since your mom left.” Keith sucks in a breath, ears flattening as he bares his sharp teeth at the Altean.

“We just want you to feel more comfortable at school,” Shiro adds, trying to defuse the situation before things can escalate. It’d do no good if Keith got any more upset. It would just agitate Lance and then he’d have a brawl on his hands. “It’s entirely up to you if you want to use it or not, and it’s really only for school to help stop the bullies.”

“I just wanted to do something nice,” Lance mutters, crossing his arms with a frown. Keith huffs, glare softening as he looks down at his gift.

“Is it really gonna stop the bullies?” he asks.

“Maybe not right away,” Shiro admits. “But I’d also like to extend an offer to join Lance in his training. I can teach you some self-defense if you wanted.”

“Yeah!” Lance says, eyes lighting up in excitement. “We can be training buddies!”

Keith stares at the crystal for a long moment. If he wears the necklace he can look human… the other kids won’t be able to make fun of him anymore. He’ll look just like everyone else. He’ll look like his dad… and not like his mom.

His mom who left… who left and never came back. The mom who lied to him. He grips the necklace tight, making up his mind.

He slips the cord over his neck.

The change is instantaneous. The purple of his skin fades until he’s pale like his dad. He feels his ear shrink and reshape, fur falling off in clumps. His claws recede until their blunt and round.

Excited, he runs to the bathroom and stares at his face in the mirror. His eyes have lost their yellow tint, but the irises remain purple. His teeth, while still sharp have dulled slightly.

He looks human.

 

It’s raining the day of the funeral. Lance stands with Keith throughout the entire thing, holding an umbrella to keep them dry. Not that Keith seems to notice much away. His eyes and face are red, yet the young boy refusing to cry. Occasionally, a tear will slip out or he’ll let out a small sniffle, but he otherwise remains quiet.

The pair watches Shiro and the other pallbearers carry the casket out to the hearse. Once it’s loaded up, Ourania ushers all three of them into the car to follow the vehicle to the cemetery.  

Keith stares straight ahead for the entire ride.

The actual burial is a private affair with only close friends showing, Keith being his only family on Earth.

“I just need a moment alone,” Keith mutters once the casket has been lowered, others slowly trailing back to their cars. Lance hesitates, unwilling to leave his friend and unsure if he even should. Shiro places a hand on his shoulder and nods towards the car. They have a silent conversation before the Prince relents.

Keith takes the offered umbrella and is left to be with his father.

They never manage to get in touch with Krolia.

Keith moves in with Shiro two days after the funeral.

 

Lance grunts as he’s thrown across the room and lands on his back. The training mats may be soft, but Keith is strong, and he hits hard. The young Altean rolls out of the way just in time for Keith to bring a fist down where his face used to be.

“Easy, Keith!” Lance shouts, scrambling back to his feet as his opponent closes in. He dodges out of the way of another onslaught, darting over to the weapons rack.

He grabs a gun and levels it at the boy, only for it to be kicked out of his grasp moments later.

“Whu-“ Lance stares at his empty hands, the gun skittering across the floor to his left. He rounds on their trainer with a scowl. “Shiro!”

“This isn’t weapons training, Lance,” Shiro reprimands. Lance huffs, pouting at Shiro before directing his attention back on Keith. His opponent crouches down and raises his fists ready for whatever Lance was about to throw his way. Lance smirks, stepping back onto the mats and taking up the same position.

“Bring it, mullet.”

 

“This is his fourth fight this year,” the principal says, voice muffles through the door. Keith sits outside the room, cheek swollen from the hit he’d taken earlier. He glances over at his partner in crime.

“And now he’s brought Lance into this?” Lance slouches in his seat holding an ice pack to his eye, frown firmly planted on his face. Keith looks to the boy across from them. The one that started it all. It’s his fault he was picking on Keith….

“I assure you there is some misunderstanding here,” Shiro’s deep voice rumbles through the door.

“Misunderstanding or not, fighting is not tolerated in this institution,” the principal argues. “And I will not have some… _half-_ breed sully the name of-“

“Both of those boys have been training in self-defense for quite some time now, and while Keith may have a bit of a temper, both know better than to get into some altercation for no reason,” Lance’s mom chimes in. “It’s my understand Keith has been bullied for _years_ , so what, pray tell, are you doing to address the bullying on campus?”

Keith and Lance share a look as the principal sputter, trying and failing to come up with some excuse.

“My Queen, you must understand,” the principal starts. “The boy-“

“Keith may have a temper,” Ourania hisses. “But he does not act unprovoked and that is something that will be addressed by myself. So please, explain to me why you have been allowing the other students to bully him?”

“I…” Her response dies down and the three students waiting, struggling to listen in on their hushed words. The boy across from them seems smug when the door finally opens and all eyes land on Keith and Lance. The principal looks between both boys before turning to address the third. Slowly, the boy rises and enters the principal’s office with one last glance back.

“Keith. Lance.” The two boys sit up straights and look up at Ourania. While she looks displeased, her voice and eyes are kind, sympathetic. “It has come to my attention that this school is not best suited for you both. Effective immediately, we will be sending you to the Galaxy Garrison’s program to further your education. Shiro has put in a good word for you both so please don’t take it for granted. As far as this fight goes… We will discuss your punishment at home, okay?”

 

Krolia would be the first to admit her surprise upon seeing Keith for the first time in three years. He looks just like his dad, the only hint that they might be related in the purple gaze Keith shares with her. He looks… human, and Krolia isn’t too sure what to make of it.  

Keith stares at her for a long moment, eyes wide in shock, before his face is twisting into a scowl. He’s gotten taller, she notes as she moves closer to her son. She holds her arms out to wrap him in a hug.  

“Don’t touch me!” he snaps, pushing her away.

“Kei-“

“Where were you?!” Krolia’s mouth snaps shut, eyes wide as the boy seethes with anger. “You said you were coming back! Why did you lie to me?!”

“I’m sor-“

“I needed you!” he shouts, eyes shining with unshed tears. “We _both_ needed you… and then I was alone.” Krolia watches him for a long moment. His shoulders shake with suppressed emotions. Carefully, she wraps her arms around him and pulls him close.

“I can’t make up for the pain I’ve caused you,” she mutters, blinking away tears of her own. “And I know that you were hurting for a long time… if I had been able to, I would’ve come back sooner. It was never my intention to abandon you, and for that, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Keith.”

Slowly, Keith returns her embrace and holds her tight, sobbing into her shoulder. Tears flow freely between the mother and son.

Eventually, the tears dry up, and Keith takes her to his father’s grave.

The next morning, Keith leaves with his mom to begin training with the Blade of Marmora.

 

He sits among the field of flowers, breeze caressing his face as he gazes sorrowfully out at the landscape. Desert stretches all around Altea’s little oasis. Sometimes he wishes the fields and trees would stretch on for miles. Instead, he is left to gaze at rock formations, the setting sun painting them shades of red. Behind him, stands the _Cavern of the Lion,_ the Black Lion’s resting place.

A single tear trickles down his face.

“I told them I couldn’t do it,” he mutters, looking down at his hand. He sniffles and wipes his face.

He knew he wasn’t good enough. Why would the Black Lion choose him of all people? He’s not special like any of his ancestors before him… he’s certainly not Akiva.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Shiro says, taking a seat next to him. “It was only your first try. I’m sure with enough practice you’ll get it eventually.”

“I’ve spent my whole life with the Black Lion… if it hasn’t responded to me by now…” Lance sighs. “I don’t know that it ever will.”

“So maybe you weren’t ready. Or maybe the Lion wasn’t ready. I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. Remember patience-“

“Yields focus,” Lance finishes for him.

 

The surface of Kerberos is barren. Lance stares out at the landscape from the comfort of the station. Matt types away at a screen on the other side of the room. Outside, he sees Sam moving around the surface waving some object back and forth. He squints but can’t really tell what is in Sam’s hand.

Lance sighs. He should have stayed on Earth… helping Hunk study… and cook. Man, he misses Hunk’s cooking… and his family. Why did he even come on this mission again? He hears a distant rumble in the back of his mind.

Oh right… that’s why. A hand comes down on his shoulder, jolting the young prince out of his daydream.

“Just a few more days and we’ll be on our way home. Hang in there, Lance,” Shiro says.

“There’s nothing to do here,” Lance complains, pressing his face against the window. “I’m bored.”

“I told you you didn’t have to come,” Shiro responds. “We’re just here to collect data.” Lance sighs. He knows he didn’t have to come. There was no point in him tagging along really… he just…

“I needed to get off Earth for a bit…”

“You can’t run from your problems forever, you know.” Lance frowns, eyes trailing Sam as he moves about down below. Yeah… he knows that too. He can’t even say he’s running really. Just taking a break from life for a few months.

Lance blinks and squints as he looks out at the surface of the moon.

“Does it seem darker to you out there?” he asks. Frowning, Shiro looks out the window as well, leaning forward to see Sam.

“Wha-“ The station shakes, jolting all of them out of place. Lance stumbles into the wall and peers outside, frantically trying to figure out what just happened. Outside, he spots Sam running back towards the station arms waving frantically. Matt scrambles out of his seat and runs to the front of the room, opening the comms.

“Dad?” he calls. “What’s going on?”

“Return to the ship immediately,” Sam’s voice rings out. “It’s the Galra.”

Matt sucks in a breath and quickly begins shutting down the station, fingers flying over the keyboard. Shiro grabs Lance by the arm and drags him out of the room. They run through the halls together and make it to the loading bay. The station shutters as the Galra land another hit.

Lance stumbles into Shiro as they make their way over to the ship.

“We have to wait for Sam and Matt!” Lance shouts as Shiro begins powering up the vessel. Shiro ignores him and continues preparing the small carrier for launch. “Shiro!”

“There’s no time, Lance,” he shouts back. Scowling, Lance rises from his seat and heads back the way they came despite Shiro’s protests. Shiro grabs him and pulls him back inside before he can step out.

“We can’t just leave them,” Lance growls, rounding on his friend.

“I agreed to come on this mission because I was the most qualified,” Shiro growls back. “But that doesn’t outweigh my duty to protect you. If we lose you, we lose everything.”

“I’m not that special,” Lance argues. Shiro’s face twists in disagreement. “Sam and Matt though…” Lance continues before he can argue. There no time for that. “They are, and we can’t afford to lose them.” Shiro huffs, looking up at the ceiling as he weighs their options.

“We can prepare the ship for launch,” he acquiesces. “But if they don’t come in the next minute when we need to leave.”

Shiro stares at him for a long moment before head back to prepare for departure. Lance watches him before looking out at the hangar. Matt and his dad appear with just seconds to spare, jumping onto the ship. The ship darts out of the station and into space.

“We need to send an alert to Earth,” Sam says, taking a seat next to Shiro. He puts a headset on and prepares to send a signal. He opens the line just as a beam of purple light rains down on them. The ship halts. Three set of eyes look at that large Galra ship floating above them.

Shiro springs into action, jumping out of his seat and dragging Lance to the back of the ship.

“Shi-“ He pushes Lance into an escape pod. Lance spins around just as the glass closes him in. “No!” He pounds on the door. Shiro stares at him for a long moment, eyes full of regret. “Shiro, please!”

“I should have never let you come,” Shiro replies, voice muffled by the glass. He places his hand over Lance’s fist and reaches for the eject button. Tears spring to Lance’s eyes, as he slides them shut, unable to do anything but accept this fate. In a moment, he finds himself jettisoning away from the ship and out of the clutches of the Galra.

Shiro’s final word ring through his mind in the silence of space.

“Goodbye, Lance.”


	2. The Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we are back with the true Chapter 1! Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments! They mean a lot to me. Thanks to everyone for bearing with me while I go on a gaming binge (KH3 was great, btw. If you're a fan of the series and haven't played it yet you should!) 
> 
> I've been hard at work getting this chapter out and the story written (the final chapter and epilogue are already in the works). The start of this chapter was a bit difficult to get through due to not writing for 3 months... but now I'm back in the swing of things! This is going to be a HUGE project for me as it's meant to encompass the ENTIRE series. 
> 
> My current word count for this story is sitting just shy of 15K! (And we're only 2 chapters in so far!)
> 
> I'll be getting back into writing weekly so a new chapter should hopefully be out in the next few weeks or so. I'm dividing my time between this, The Red Lion's Paladin, and my own book that I'm writing. 
> 
> If anyone wants story update or just to come chat you can find me over on tumblr: artemiswinter.tumblr.com
> 
> Enjoy!

Each shot hits the target dead on, one after another, unrelenting until he’s out of bullets. The shooting range falls silent. He lowers the weapon to his side and stares at his targets with a frown.

It’s still not enough…

_ “How do you ever expect to be a leader if you can’t even lead a successful mission?” _

Iverson’s words burn deep in his mind after another failed flight simulation. It’s not his fault Pidge can’t reach… or that Hunk gets sick. Well…. Okay,  _ maybe _ he could have tried to fly like a sane person, but still… there’s medicine for motion sickness. All that aside though, he can’t even say it wasn’t his fault, because it was. Because he took his eyes off their flight path. He stopped paying attention to their surroundings to berate his crew...

It’s his fault they crashed.

At this rate, he’s never going to make it into space again. Not as an actual pilot that’s for sure. He can’t even fly a fake ship…. Because he’s not good enough.

Not as a pilot. Not as a leader. Not as Akiva’s descendent…. Not worthy of being a ‘prince’... Not worthy of the Black Lion….

Because at the end of the day,  _ he  _ will never be enough…

A touch. A gentle caress on his neck has his hair raising. He touches the back of his neck, confused as he glances over his shoulder. Empty space greets him. He sighs, shaking the feeling off and turns back to the task at hand. Targets aren’t going to shoot themselves after all.

He hears it as he begins setting up the next round of shots. Whispered words on a soft breeze.

_ Lance. _

The hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Something dances at the edge of his vision.

He looks around again, only confirming what he already knew. He’s the only one in the shooting range right now.

“Great... “ he mutters to himself. “Now they can add crazy to the list of why I shouldn’t lead….” He looks around the area again with a frown before rubbing at his eyes. “Maybe I just need to sl-”

The door swooshes open behind him. He jumps, spinning around and aiming his gun at the intruder. There’s a yelp and then brownies spilling to the floor as his friend uses the plate to shield himself.

Hunk, his best friend and current roommate. A big, burly teddy bear of a guy, cowers behind an empty plate of brownies. Next to him and a couple feet shorter, stands Pidge; their crewmate. Pidge looks eerily similar to Matt, in Lance’s humble opinion, though he  _ insists _ there’s no relation. Lance isn’t too sure but doesn’t have much to prove his theory.

For all he knows, they could be cousins and Pidge just doesn’t want special treatment from the Garrison.

Pidge looks up at Hunk unimpressed before grinning.

“I told you he’d be here,” he says, smugly. Lance lowers his gun with a frown.

“What are you two doing here?” he asks. Lance huffs looking at Hunk’s cowering form. “Put the plate down, Hunk. I’m not going to shoot you.” Slowly the boy lowers his plate, un-scrunching his face into a relaxed stance.

“Sorry….” Hunk says. “I wasn’t expecting to have a gun pointed at me today… or ever.”

“Sorry, you startled me,” Lance replies, setting his weapon down on the counter behind him. “Now… what are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Pidge asks. He sighs at Lance’s blank stare. “Well…. Hunk wanted to cheer you up with brownies but that obviously isn’t happening now.”

Lance looks down at the floors with a grimace. Of course he’d ruin a present from his friends. They’re only trying to make him feel better and now he’s ruined it.

“How’d you even find me?” he asks before his thoughts can get any more negative.

“Everyone knows you come here when you need space,” Hunk says as he stoops down to pick up the fallen treats. His face drops. “I didn’t think you’d be here though… especially after Iverson chewed you out like that.” The trio falls silent; Lance thinking over Hunk’s words; Hunk too busy picking up brownies, and Pidge thoughtfully watching the young prince.

“Don’t let him get to you, Lance,” Pidge says. “Iverson’s a jerk and you’ll make a great leader someday.” Lance smiles half heartedly, appreciating the words of encouragement. It falls off his face just as soon as it arrives.

He can’t even connect with the Black Lion. How is he supposed to lead his people?

“Yeah,” Hunk agrees, standing back up again, full plate in hand. “Iverson’s just hard on you because he can see your potential.” Lance huffs, smile playing on his face.

“I bet you say that to everyone,” he says. Hunk sputters, nearly dropping his plate again. 

“No!”

“Well… either way, we have a project to finish,” Pidge chimes in, adjusting his glasses. “And we can’t do that without Prince Charming. So maybe stop shooting for a bit and help us?”

“Oh yeah…” Hunk says. “That’s the other reason we came. We need your help putting together the slides for our presentation tomorrow.”

Lance stares at them, mind drawing a blank. What project are they talking about? He doesn’t have any presentations coming up. What classes do they even have tomorrow? A class that has a presentation…. Are they even in a class like that?

“Well this is embarrassing. He completely forgot,” Pidge mutters. He sighs, leveling the young Altean with an unimpressed look. Lance stares at him, lost on what they’re even talking about. He doesn’t have anything due tomorrow. Not that he can remember at least.

“Can I tell him?” Hunk asks, shifting anxiously. “We’re wasting time waiting for him to remember.” Pidge rubs his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head.

“A hint,” Pidge offers. “There’s a lot of historical events to remember after all.” Lance sucks in a breath, eyes going wide.

Crap.

He forgot about their History project…. The very one he promised them he was working on.

“You  _ did _ do your half, right?” Hunk asks.

“What?” he squeaks. “Yeah! Of course I did! Why  _ wouldn’t  _ I do it?” His nervous laugh has the hope falling right off Hunk’s face. It’s not his fault he put it off until the last minute… okay, maybe it is, but a report on Altean history is a walk in the park. He knows their history like the back of his hand.

“Lance….”

“It’s  _ fiiiine _ , Hunk,” Lance says, walking over to his friends. He turns them towards the doors, slinging and arm over Hunk’s shoulders. “We’ll just go back to our room and work on it there. I’m like… a walking Altean Historian, you know. We’ll have this done in no time.”

Pidge and Hunk look unconvinced but follow him out of the shooting range anyways. At least they have all night to work on the final project.

Besides, how hard can it be?

 

It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get in. Find the Red Lion. Remove it from the Galra…. Somehow. The Galra are keeping it under pretty tight surveillance, though, so even if he could get to it, he’s not too sure how to get it off the ship. It’s a simple notion, really, if it weren’t  _ also _ for the fact that this was meant to be a covert mission. He can’t exactly draw any unwanted attention to himself.  

As it stands, the Red Lion’s holding bay is guarded by sentries and he doesn’t have the authorization to enter on his own.

He has no idea what Kolivan was thinking sending him here….

“Yorak.” He jumps to attention as one of his commanding officers moves from behind to face him. “You know you’re not authorized to be in this sector.”

“Sorry, sir,” he mutters. “I got lost again…” The Galra officer regards him with a look of disdain. Of course someone like him would get lost on such a big ship. Especially considering he’s only been here for a few days. The officer waves it off with a sigh.

“Just try to not to get lost again,” he says.

“Of course, sir.”

“It’s good that I found you, though,” he replies. “Commander Sendak has requested your presence on the bridge.” His eyes go wide, hand slowly dropping back to his side. What could Sendak possibly want? “Best not keep him waiting.”

Yorak quickly salutes and turns away, darting off down the halls. He can only hope Sendak hasn’t caught wind of him snooping around the lion. That could only spell trouble for everyone involved. Hopefully, it’s just something else unrelated.

 

Lance wakes with a start, chest tight from not breathing as his heart races. He stares up at the ceiling as images from his dream refuse to fade. They flash through his mind incessantly. He can hear the faintest rumble as he finally takes a breath and sits up. Across the room, Hunk snores softly, cuddling his teddy.

It’d be cute if Lance could actually take a moment to focus on the scene.

As it stands, the young prince is climbing out of bed and stumbling over to his desk. He knocks papers and notebooks off in his frantic search for a sheet of paper.

The images won’t stop coming.

_ Shiro with a scar across his face and a shocking spot of white in his hair. _

The shadow in his vision has grown more defined.

_ He sees Pidge with a small, flying robot made of Galra tech. Hunk cooking some type of alien cuisine in what can only be described as a space mall food court. _

He does his best to ignore it as he furiously scribbles on the blank page.

_ A quick sketch of Keith with long hair; by his side, a large wolf. _

_ He draws space mice performing tricks for a young, female Altean. _

He scribbles five more before a large hand reaches out to stop him.

“Dude,” Hunk mumbles. “What are you doing?” Lance blinks, and sits back in his seat. What  _ is _ he doing? He stares at the pages before him. The images finally fade from his mind, lost to the depths of his consciousness.

He rubs his eye with a frown and blinks. The shadow has taken the shape of a person, but still eludes his direct gaze.

“I just…” he mutters. Something was pushing him to remember. To not forget whatever it was showing him. He  _ needed _ to not forget. “I had to get it on paper….”

Why does this seem so familiar?

“I don’t….”

What was he doing before this?

A small gust of wind tickles at the back of his neck, stronger than it’s ever been. He shivers, brushing a hand against his neck. He looks up at Hunk.

“Did you feel that?” Hunk yawns, shaking his head as he moves back to his bed. It takes the boy a moment to process Lance’s words.

“Did I feel what?” So… he didn’t then. Hunk would know what he was talking about if he did. It’s impossible to feel the air from the vents at their desk. There’s no way he’d feel something like that. Especially not on his neck.

“Nothing… sorry I woke you.” So if it’s not the wind then it has to be something else… Lance sighs, rising from his seat and returning to bed. He rubs his eyes again, frowning at the shadow in his vision.

As the young Altean, falls back to sleep, he’s hears the faintest roar and the quiet whisper of his name.

 

Sendak, like most Galra, is large and intimidating. His ears give Keith the impression of bats, and his red, prosthetic eye always makes him feel like he’s being targeted. 

Even so, he enters the bridge and steps up to the Commander, standing straight with an arm across his chest. Sendak grins at him, sharp teeth on display. It’d be scary but Keith  _ knows  _ he can take him.

“You asked to see me, sir?”

“Yorak,” Sendak replies, grin falling off his face as he looks Keith up and down. “I had expected to you to look…. Less scrawny.” Keith does his best not to grimace, but he’s unable to stop his ears from twitching. It’s no secret that he’s smaller than the average male Galra. He’s heard the whispers… that others thing he’s a half-breed.

His mom is on the smaller side though, so that definitely helps curb those rumors. It would do no good for them to learn the truth…. That his father was human. He’d be cast out of the ranks much like others before him. He would be useless for undercover missions.

He’s worked too hard to get this far for that to happen.

“Despite that,” Sendak continues. “You come to my ship with high recommendations.”

“Thank you, sir.” Sendak sneers.

“It is not a compliment,  _ welp. _ Words mean nothing on this ship. It would do you good to remember that.,” he snaps before composing himself. “I have an assignment for you.”

“What are your orders, Commander?” Keith asks.

“We have a special… package being delivered into our possession. You are to escort the vessel to our coordinates and ensure nothing happens to it.”

“Of course, Commander.”

“Now go, before I change my mind about sending you.”

“Vrepit Sa!” Keith says, saluting him once more before departing. Whatever he’s transporting must be important if they need an escort.

 

_ Lance. _

He startles, hands violently jerking the controls in his grasp. The ship rattles around them, veering wildly off course.

“ _ Lance! _ ” Pidge snaps, glare at him from his spot in the back. “Try keeping the ship on course, maybe?”

“Sorry,” he grumbles, taking a moment to steady his mind. Now  _ really _ isn’t the time to be hearing things. It’s bad enough that stupid shadow won’t go away. He doesn’t need to be distracted with talking.

Off to his left, Hunk heaves, face going pale. Lance huffs, turning his attention back to getting on course. They’ve wandered into a new area of this planet but he can just follow Pidge’s new trajectory. It looks like they’ll actually arrive early anyways.

He’s totally got this.

 

The ship appears as a small dot in the distance. Keith squints at it, wondering why such a small ship carrying important cargo is all alone out in space. Are they really that confident nobody is going to attack it?

With a frown, he opens a transmission to the small vessel.

“Attention, cargo carrier,” he says. “This is Yorak of Commander Sendak’s ship. I am here to escort you back to his location.” A screen pops up moments later along with a familiar face. He blinks, taking in the light blue skin, large white stripes and pointy ears of none other than a fellow Blade.

“Ulaz?”

“Yorak,” Ulaz replies with the smallest of smiles. “It’s so nice to see a familiar face! How kind of Sendak to put us in such capable hands.”

“What….” Why is Ulaz out here? Isn’t he a medic or something? Shouldn’t he be healing Galra somewhere? And what is he transporting that’s so important?

“I have been tasked with transporting a very special piece of cargo,” Ulaz replies. “Perhaps you should come aboard so we can discuss in further detail.”

 

Lance  _ definitely _ doesn’t have this. He frowns, watching the screen from their simulation go black.  _ Failure _ flashes before him in bright red letters. Pidge groans, climbing back into his seat from the floor. 

“Nice job,  _ tailor _ ,” Pidge grumbles, as the door to the simulator swings open. Lance unbuckles himself, sinking into his seat with a groan, trying in vain to ignore the heavy footsteps approaching him.

“Need I remind you,  _ cadets _ ,” their teacher, Iverson growls. “That the purpose of these simulations is to  _ complete _ them.”

Lance huffs and gets out of his seat to be greeted with Iverson’s unimpressed scowl. He’s convinced it’s the man’s default expression. None of them have so much as  _ seen _ Iverson show a different emotion.

The young prince slinks over to join his friends in front of their teacher, frowning at the ground.

“Why is it, then, that you three are the only ones incapable of completing even the simplest of tasks?” None of them have an answer to that…. At least, none that will be considered acceptable. It’s not that they can’t do these simulations…. Lance just has a hard time taking them seriously because he knows it’s not real. Simulations and real life are completely different.

Still… another failed mission doesn’t look good for any of them. Lance can only imagine what his mom must be thinking. She’s going to be so disappointed in him.

No wonder he can’t connect with the Black Lion….

Lance sighs, sparing a look at his friends. Hunk’s face is still pale and he looks like he’s trying in vain not to puke again. Pidge just looks frustrated.

“You three will be pulled off simulations,” Iverson says. Lance’s attention jerks instantly to their teacher. Pulled off simulations? What is he talking about? “At least until we can reassess you all and decide the best course of action.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Pidge snaps.

“It means, cadet,” Iverson replies. “That we have to determine whether you are truly a good fit for the program since your record seems to say otherwise.”

“You’re kicking us out?!” Hunk squeaks. “Oh man…. I’m gonna be in so much trouble….”

“You can’t be serious!” Pidge protests.

“Well maybe if your  _ pilot _ was able to watch his surroundings you wouldn’t be crashing so much,” Iverson snaps. Lance swallows the lump forming in his throat, eyes burning with unshed tears. Of course the blame would be put on him. Iverson isn’t finished though as he zeros in on the smallest of the trio.

Pidge meets his gaze unflinchingly; the two entering into a staring contest. Iverson sneers at him.

“Or perhaps,  _ Gunderson _ ,” he says. “The navigator should have been watching the monitors more carefully.”

“Perhaps,  _ sir _ ,” Pidge responds. “Blame shouldn’t be placed on one specific individual when we are a team and failed as a whole. Singling one person out doesn’t constitute camaraderie and instead perpetuates an environment of everyone for themselves.”

Iverson’s lip curls back as he rises to his full height. Lance uses the moment to push Pidge aside.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” he says, quickly. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have gotten distracted. This was my fault and I’ll be sure to do better next time.” Iverson’s face returns to its usual scowl as he watches the Altean for a long moment. Eventually, he sighs and looks away from the trio.

“Get out of here, all of you,” he grumbles. The trio scramble to exit the space, Iverson calling after them as they go.

“And don’t come back until you’ve learned to work as a team!”

 

The transport ships ends up being larger up close than Keith was really expecting. Thankfully, that means he’s able to land his ship in the holding bay. Ulaz is waiting for him when he steps off his ship. Sentries wander about the bay, but otherwise keep a respectable distance from the pair. 

“Keith,” Ulaz greets. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“Why are you here?” Keith asks, eyeing the sentries. It’s a little weird hearing his real name after being undercover for so long… yet refreshing at the same time. Ulaz stares at him for a long moment.

“Perhaps we should talk somewhere more…. Private.” Confused, Keith follows him out of the holding bay and through the halls to the bridge. Thankfully, the journey is short considering the ship is much smaller than Sendak’s.

Ulaz turns to him the moment the doors slide shut.

“It’s most fortunate that you were the one tasked with escorting me to Sendak,” Ulaz says. “I am transporting a very important person for the Empire.” Keith watches him, trying to decipher what the Galra is talking about. Who could possibly be so important they need to be escorted in a cargo ship? Someone secret maybe…. A prisoner?

“Who…” Ulaz sighs.

“Something happened about a phoeb ago,” he replies, looking away from the young boy. His face falls with sorrow. “We were told not to tell you for fear of how you may react… but I feel now there is no choice.”

“What happened, Ulaz,” Keith growls anxiously. What was so awful that they couldn’t tell him? Did something  _ bad _ happen to someone? His mind reels with the possibility. Who could have possibly been hurt?

Ulaz takes a deep breath before continuing.

“You must understand,” he says. “We chose not to tell you for the safety of everyone involved. You would have been compromised. Made rash decisions. Our mission can’t afford that.” He gazes at Keith, eyes searching his face for something Keith can’t quite identify. He’s not really sure how he’s meant to be reacting right now. If something happened that they chose not to tell him about….

That can only mean one thing.

“Was it Lance?” he asks, dread washing over him.

“No,” Ulaz answers much to Keith relief. “Shiro managed to get him away in time.”

“Shi-” Keith’s eyes go wide, heart skipping a beat. He looks away from his fellow Blade, moving over to the wall for support. They got Shiro? Is that what Ulaz is telling him? How? He gets it now, why they didn’t want to say anything. He definitely would have dropped everything to save his former mentor.

“He goes by the title Champion within the Galra ranks,” Ulaz says. Keith looks at him in disbelief. Shiro’s the Champion? He’s literally one of the most valuable prisoners in the Galra Empire…. And they’re delivering him right into Sendak’s hands.

“We have to free him,” Keith says. “He needs to go back to Earth.”

“Your mission is to remove the Red Lion from the possession of the Galra. Freeing Shiro is not part of that plan.”

“I don’t care,” Keith snaps. “We can’t let Sendak have him…. I’ll just say you were shot down by rebels or something.”

“Sendak would kill you for your failure,” Ulaz points out. “And if he doesn’t then Zarkon certainly will for losing his precious Champion.”

Keith huffs, ears twitching in irritation. He knows, deep down, that he can’t compromise his position. Still… Shiro being here can’t be good. It means the Galra know of Earth. Do they know about the Alteans? Has Earth tried coming after them? Or perhaps they asked the Blade for help returning Shiro…. Who else was taken? More importantly…. How has Lance been doing without his bodyguard?

“I have to get him back to Earth,” Keith says. “I don’t care if I can never return to the Galra. I’m getting Shiro out of here and taking him home.”

“How?” Ulaz asks. “You know they’ll just track you back to Earth… and then what? All you efforts will be for nothing and Earth will be in the Galra’s line of sight.”

“Well then maybe we need to take him home in something that isn’t Galra….” Keith replies. Something that he’s been tasked with retrieving. It’s a big risk and assumes the Red Lion will open for him but… it does solve the problem of removing it from the Galra. He’ll have to give him his position for awhile, but it’ll be worth it if it means Shiro can be home again. “Call Kolivan. There’s been a slight change in plans.”

Kolivan is just going to have to be on board with it.

 

“Alteans are typically a peaceful race. They tend to lean more towards diplomacy rather than turning to war. It has certainly helped the people of Earth over the centuries and assisted with maintaining overall peace,” Lance recites in a voice that is far peppier than he’s currently feeling. He’s just been having a shitty day and doing this stupid presentation isn’t helping. The constant breeze that only he can feel doesn’t help either. It’s practically full blown wind at this point and he’s about to jump out a window.

He barely pays attention as Pidge recites his part, prattling off facts about Earth and what it might have been like if Alteans never showed up. His gaze wanders to the window, mind straying elsewhere as Pidge’s voice becomes nothing more than a distant hum.

He blinks.

The shadow in the corner of his vision moves.

Confused he blinks again, and suddenly Shiro’s standing in front of him. He’s changed since the Galra took him. His right arm is made of metal and there’s a scar running across the bridge of his nose. His hair has a shock of white in it. Shiro looks at him and steps closer, reaching out to him.

_ Lance. _

Shiro touches his forehead.

Lance gasps, eyes going wide as he’s suddenly transported out of the classroom and light years away from Earth.

Wind roars around the pair, thunder rumbling in the distance as they stand together for the first time in a year. He blinks and Shiro disappears, leaving him in the hurricane force winds.

“Shiro?” Lance shouts, looking around frantically for his friend. The wind carries his voice away and grows stronger. Thunder rumbles closer to him now. He continues to look around, shouting for his lost companion, voice steadily growing hoarse.

Lance sucks in a breath, frustration mounting. How is he supposed to find Shiro in this chaos? He can barely hear himself think! Tears prick at the corner of his eyes as he squeezes them shut. He crumbles into the ball on the ground hands clutching at his hair.

The wind grows stronger, pushing him onto his knees. He just needs one moment of peace. Of quiet to just…. Just think!

The ground shakes with a loud clap of thunder. It sounds vaguely like a lion’s roar.

Lance’s eyes fly open and he looks up.

“Quiet,” he mutters, and the wind dies down. It parts around him as he stands. A sense of calm rushes over him and suddenly the gale is circling around him. He’s in the eyes of the storm now.

Lance looks around, listens for the thunder. It rumbles in the distance and he follows the direction of the sound.

“Black,” he whispers. Everything stops. The Black Lion lands in front of his, eyes glowing as it meets his unwavering gaze. Lance holds a hand up to the large robot. “Show me.”

The pair disappears in a flash of white.

 

Getting Shiro onto Sendak’s ship was the easy part. With Ulaz’s help they take his sleeping body to a prison cell and leave him there. It’s weird seeing a friend out in space…. Especially one from Earth. The scar, Keith knows, he got from a fight in the Coliseum. The arm, Ulaz informed him, was a present from Zarkon’s witch. 

Haggar’s been experimenting on the human and Keith shudders to think of what’s been done to him. Everyone’s heard the rumors of her Druids and their experimentations. It’s a fate nobody wants to face.

Keith sees Ulaz off before reporting to Sendak. He seems please that Keith managed to return Shiro but quickly shoos him off, instructing him to make himself scarce.

Keith finds himself wandering down to the prison block before veering off towards the Red Lion’s holding bay. They can’t know he’s interested in Shiro. I would only raise suspicion and the would compromise his goals. At least walking past the Red Lion is part of his usual routine. Nobody tends to question that.

Still though, he eventually returns to his room to figure out how to release Shiro and get him to the Red Lion without raising the alarm.

He paces the length of the room, mulling his options over. Kolivan didn’t seem too pleased by his decision but ultimately relented under the condition he doesn’t get caught. He’s not even sure  _ how _ to pull that off. One way or another though, he’s getting Shiro back to Earth.

Keith huffs. The Blade of Marmora operates under secrecy. They don’t do things that could possibly expose him.

“I don’t exactly have many options here,” Keith mutters to himself. How did Kolivan even expect him to take the Red Lion without being caught? Frowning, he sits on his bed and pulls out his knife. The dark blade gleams in the light, a small crystal tied around the hilt.

Even after all these years, he’s kept Lance’s gift…. Not that he ever uses it anymore. He’s long come to terms with his heritage and grown to be proud of his Galra half.

His Galra half because nobody in the Empire  _ know _ of his human half…. And maybe it’s time to reclaim that.

“Hold on, Shiro,” Keith says with a grin as he removes the crystal and resheathes his knife. He stands up, plan forming in his mind. “I’m coming for you.”

 

Lance stumbles back with a gasp, knocking everything off the teacher’s desk. The whole room stares at him in stunned silence. He looks around wildly, gaze landing on Hunk and Pidge.

“Come with me,” he snaps, grabbing their wrists and dragging them out of the room. They stumble after him as he picks up the pace. Soon the trio is running through the halls.

“Lance!” Pidge shouts. “What are we doing?”

“Yeah…” Hunk replies, huffing. “As much… as I like skipping class…. Why?”

“Something’s coming,” Lance replies, gaze focused straight ahead. “And I need both of you with me.” Hunk and Pidge share a confused look behind their friend’s back but they fall silent.

Lance leads them right to Iverson’s office. He barges in without bothering to knock.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Iverson shouts, standing from his seat. “You can’t be in here!”

“I come to you as Prince of New Altea,” Lance says confidently, standing tall. “By orders of Queen Ourania herself, I am declaring galactic emergency. All off planet communication and travel is officially on lockdown.” Iverson calms himself, staring at Lance for a long moment. Pidge and Hunk watch, confused and curious from outside the room. Whatever’s going on, it’s important and Lance needs them.

“What is this about, my Prince?”

“The Galra are coming,” Lance replies. “And I need you to take us to the Black Lion.”

 

Sirens blare around him as he ducks into corners and dodges the sentries running about. Behind him, Shiro groans, clutching at his head. He’s only been awake for a few minutes but there was no way Keith could discreetly carry him to the Red Lion’s location. As it stands, his cover has been completely blown. 

The Red Lion is their only chance to get out of here alive.

Keith watches and waits for the coast to clear before grabbing Shiro’s hand and sprinting down the hall. He halts, pushing Shiro into an alcove and he peers around the corner. Just down the way, one of Sendak’s flunkies guards the door to the Red Lion.

He can probably take them…. Especially if Shiro gets his act together long enough to help. Keith glances back at his friend, still delirious from sleep.

“Shiro,” he whispers. “I’m going to need your help for this next part, okay?” Shiro flashes him a thumbs up though Keith’s not too sure he actually heard. Either way, they manage to tag team the Galra and take him down in moments. Fate must be smiling on them too because Keith’s able to use the Galra’s hand to open to doors.

The Red Lion looms inside its shield, quiet and unwavering. Shiro takes a seat next to it with a sigh, head dropping between his legs with a groan. Whatever they knocked him out with is going to take a while to work through his system. They don’t have time to wait though…

“Hey,” Keith calls up to the lion. “Open up! We need your help!” The shield remains standing. He huffs and knocks on the surface. The Red Lion ignores him. Keith growls, kicking the shield and stomping away from the stubborn creature.

Is creature even the right word? They’re supposedly sentient…. Does that count as them being creatures? Sentient machines are a thing…. Right?

He doesn’t know…. Nor does he care. This stupid thing needs to let them in before they’re all caught.

“Freeze!”

Keith jumps, spinning around to come face to face with a group of sentries. They level their blasters at him and Shiro.

Quiznack. This is  _ not _ how he wanted things to go… he eyes the bay door and the console that opens it. An idea quickly forms in his head.

He draws his sword and charges towards Shiro just as the sentries begin shooting. Shiro jumps to his feet with a shout, alarmed to see a Galra running towards him. Keith grabs him and sprints to the console, slamming his sword into the ground just as he hits the button.

The doors swing open, sucking the sentries into space. His sword holds for a moment but the suction and weight of him and Shiro drag them out into space. 

Keith holds his breath, eyes shifting wildly as he tries to figure out how to return to the lion. Shiro slips out of his grasp, distracting him for a split second.

Next thing he knows, the giant maws of the Red Lion are closing around him and Shiro, and flying away from Sendak’s ship.

Shiro gasps next to Keith, rolling off his back sluggishly. Next to him, Keith rests on his hands and knees trying to regulate his breathing. They sit in the Red Lion’s mouth, collecting their breaths before Keith attempts to stand. He wobbles to his feet and stumbles over to his companion.

“Shiro,” he mutters, holding a hand out to help him up. Shiro take his, allowing Keith to pull him to his feet. They stare at each other for a long moment before Keith’s pulled into a crushing hug. Keith hugs him back, resting a hand on Shiro’s shoulder.

His hair becomes wet where Shiro’s face is buried in it. His shoulder shake with sobs. Keith doesn’t realize he’s also crying until a drop lands on his hand.  

“I’m so sorry…” Keith mumbles, voice breaking. “I’m so sorry…. I… I didn’t know… I would’ve come for you… I….”

“It’s okay,” Shiro replies, brushing a hand through his hair. He pulls away a moment later, face tear-stained but no longer crying. “You came when it mattered and that’s enough.” Keith smiles, rubbing the tears off his face.

He may have just blown his cover. He can’t return to the Galra or the Blade…. But he got Shiro back. They’re going back to Earth where they can be protected and find help. The Galra may come after them, but Earth will be prepared. That’s a worry for another day though. For now…. There’s only one task at hand.

“Let’s go home.”

 

His mom is waiting for them by the time they arrive at the Black Lion’s den. Iverson stops his buggy and lets the trio climb out and gather their things before driving off again. Lance watches him go before turning to his mom. A bag of this things hangs by her side.

“I see you’ve brought some friends,” she says, glancing briefly at Hunk and Pidge. “And you’ve declared an emergency. Mind telling me why?”

“The Galra are coming….” Lance replies. “The Black Lion showed me.” Surprise flits across her face, mouth falling open slightly. She looks back at his friends and then to him.

“And your friends?”

“They have to come with me.” She raises a brow at that, but Lance remains firm. He knows what he saw. He won’t back down from this. Behind him, Hunk and Pidge share a confused look. Hunk is the one to step forward.

“Um… excuse me, your grace,” he says, giving a little bow. “Not that Pidge and I mind much but… what’s happening?

“And for that matter,” Pidge chimes in. “ _ Where _ are we going?” Ourania laughs a little, eyes lighting up in delight. She looks back at her son, proud that he’s made friends at the Garrison.

“It seems my son failed to mention some details on the ride over,” she comments. “So much like his father.” She steps behind Hunk and Pidge, waving her hands at them as she ushers the trio inside.

“Lance?” Hunk says, hesitantly steps through the doors to the den. His eyes roam up and down the cave walls. Carvings lines the inside of Alteans and lions alike. Gemstones gleam in the light, adding splashes of reds, blues, greens, and yellows to the portraits. “What’s going on?”

“The Black Lion, it seems,” Ourania answers. “Is finally ready to accept Lance as its Paladin and you two will be joining him.”

“Whu-”

“We have to go fight the Galra,” Lance says, gaze focused straight ahead. Their footstep echo down the hall as they draw closer to the lion’s resting place. “And find your lions.”

“Wait!” Hunk protests as they step into the Black Lion’s gaze. It’s shield is finally dropped, eyes lit up as it awaits the prince. “I’m not a pilot! I can’t fly a giant cat robot!”

“Well… you better learn!” Ourania replies teasingly, shoving Hunk and Pidge towards the lion. She straightens and steps over to her son. She hands him the bag. “Extra clothes and some things for you and your friends.”

“Thanks, mom,” Lance say with a smile, taking the offered bag.

“There’s a communicator in there too, so you better keep in touch.”

“We will.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she gazes lovingly at her son. She pulls him into a hug.

“You’re going to do great things,” she murmurs. “Akiva would be proud of you.” Lance sucks in a breath, eyes suddenly burning.

“I’m going to miss you,” he murmurs back. She pulls back, placing a hand on his cheek.

“We will all miss you,” she says. “Now go get your lions.” She places a kiss on his cheek and steps away. Lance gives her a final, sad smile before turning to his friends.

“I know I’m dragging you into this,” he says to them. “But… this is your choice, you can turn back now. Nobody’s forced to do this.” Pidge scoffs, giving his arm a punch.

“Are you kidding? This is our chance to go into space and prove Iverson wrong,” he says. “You aren’t the only one who has business out there, you know.”

“Yeah,” Hunk adds before Lance can reply. “I mean… the fighting part sounds kind of scary but we’re in this together. If you… erm…. Well, I guess the Black Lion, rather, thinks we’re meant to be Paladins then who am I to argue with it? Besides… we’d be helping others, right?”

“Thanks, guys,” Lance says, grateful to have such loyal companions.

“And don’t worry about your parents,” Ourania calls to them. “I’ll be sure they are informed of where you’re at!”  

“I guess this is it then.” Lance heft the bag onto his shoulder and looks up at the Black Lion.

The moment of truth. He takes a deep breath and steps up to the lion. There a beat, a moment, where nothing happens, and then the Black Lion crouches down, opening up for the trio. Relief floods through Lance. He’s finally being accepted.

He takes a moment to give one final wave goodbye before entering the lion’s waiting mouth.

The journey has finally begun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! =) 
> 
> See ya next chapter!


	3. Awakenings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with another chapter 1 day early!!! The gf and I are gonna be busy this weekend preparing to move (again), so I likely won't have time tomorrow to post this. 
> 
> In other news, I've made some changes to this story. First, if you read the prologue back when it was first posted and before CH 1 was posted, please go back and reread it. I made a crucial change to one of the scenes that will come into play later in the story. 
> 
> Second, you'll notice this story now has "S1" attached to it. This story is meant to loosely follow the original series, as such, this part has been labelled "S1" for Season 1 (in case that wasn't obvious). I have about 7 parts/seasons planned for this and instead of posting them as one behemoth of a story, I'm splitting them up into a 7 part series. This has now been updated as well to reflect it. 
> 
> Third, keep an eye on the tags!!! Instead of adding them all at once, I'll be updating the tags as chapters are posted to properly maintain and keep track of it (and so I don't commit to anything that won't actually happen).
> 
> As always, thanks again for all the kudos and comments I've received. It means a lot to me that people seem to be enjoying the story so far, and I'm working hard to do it justice. 
> 
> If anyone wants to come talk to me or follow me for story updates, I can be found on tumblr: artemiswinter.tumblr.com  
> (btw, if anyone knows how to do hyperlinks or whatever, please let me know!!! I can't figure it out)
> 
> Well.... onward with the story!!!

“So… you can just declare emergencies like that, huh?” Hunk comments from his spot behind Lance. 

“Yeah….. She’s not exactly the  _ leader _ of Earth? But the ruler of New Altea has certain powers they can exercise when needed,” Lance explains. “In this case, declare an international emergency if there’s a threat from space…. And since I’m next in line for the throne, I have the ability to do the same. It’s a safeguard in case I become aware of something before she does so we don’t have to wait for her to make the call.”

“Huh….” Hunk falls silent, mulling over Lance’s answer before he’s asking questions again. “So… the Black Lion talking to you?”

“Well…. Not really talk? More like… it shows me things and… feelings? Kinda…”

“Kinda?” Lance huffs. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it….

“Like…. I get these images in my head sometimes,” he tries to explain. “They’re just kinda vague pieces of events and stuff…. I think…. From what I can gather at least.”

“Like premonitions?” Pidge asks.

“I guess so? I’ve never really known any to actually happen though…. Other than that I just… get these vibes from the Black Lion…. Like if danger is coming or whatever. It’s less ‘hey, something’s coming’ and more just a feeling.”

“Oh… do all the lions do that?” Hunk asks.

“Uh… I think so?” He doesn’t see why they wouldn’t all do it… unless it’s just a Black Lion thing since it’s the head of Voltron. Does that even make sense? “As far as I know, they all communicate with their Paladins in some way.”

“Su-”

“Something’s coming!” Pidge snaps, leaning over the back of the chair and pointing at the radar. Sure enough, something’s flashing across the screen, growing closer by the second. Lance stares at the screen and then straight ahead, eyes straining to see the vessel as soon as it appears.

“There!” he points, spotting the faintest red dot in the distance. Pidge leans over him, squinting to see the approaching vessel. Even Hunk leans over, shading his eyes to get a better look.

“I don’t see anything,” Hunk comments. Lance frowns but continues to stare, knowing it’s whatever is showing on the radar. He reaches out and presses a few buttons. “Uhhh… what are you doing?” 

“I’m gonna reach out to them,” Lance explains as he opens a call to the ship. He catches Hunk’s skeptical look out of the corner of his eye. “They could be friendly.”

“Or they could be Galra,” Pidge points out. Lance shrugs.

“Only one way to fi-” A face pops up on the screen. Lance jumps and then blinks, taking in the black mop of hair, dark purple eyes and ever present frown on the person’s face. There are two lines on his cheeks that Lance has never seen before. “Keith?!”

“Lance!” Keith snaps, face falling in shock. “What are you doing out here?!”

“What am  _ I  _ doing out here?” Lance scoffs. “Why are  _ you _ in this section of the universe? And why do you look like that?”

“There's no time to explain,” Keith snaps. “We ne-”

“Hold the phone,” Lance says, leaning closer to inspect what little he can see of Keith's surroundings. “Is that the Red Lion?!”

“Yes, Lance,” Keith replies, growing impatient. Now really isn’t the time for this. He has more important things to tell him…. Like the fact that he has Shiro. “Listen, I-”

The alarms start blaring again from both lions. Above them, a Galra cruiser appears. Lance stares at it wide eyed for a moment before glaring at Keith.

“You lead the  _ Galra _ here?!” he hisses.

“How was I supposed to know they were following me?!” Keith snaps back. He jerks on the handles of the Red Lion, dodging a shot as the ship fires at them.

“Gee… I don’t know, Keith… Maybe because you’re  _ flying a Lion of Voltron through space?! _ ” Lance snaps back, flying the Black Lion away from the ship’s firing. He growls, frustrated, and spins Black around, firing his own shots at the Galra. Fighter pilots spill out of the vessel’s large holding bays.

“There’s too many of them!” Pidge shouts as the Black Lion takes a hit. “We need to fall back!” Lance huffs and directs them over to Keith and the Red Lion.

“We need to lead them away from here,” he says. Keith is silent on his end for a long moment before the video feed cuts off. The trio can hear him quietly speaking with someone else. Lance strains to hear the conversation but the other voice is too faint to really be picked up. It sounds vaguely familiar though….

“There’s a chance they won’t follow us,” Keith finally says, turning the Red Lion around. “We’d risk them to finding Earth.”

“We have two Lions of Voltron, right?” Pidge chimes in. “Maybe if we only had one it wouldn’t be worth following, but two would be a big catch for them.” He glances at Lance. “It should be enticing enough for them. We can use that to our advantage.”

“Okay,” Lance agrees. “So we lead them away and then make our getaway.”

“There’s a planet not too far from here,” Keith says, finally relenting. “We can lose them there. Follow me.” Their connection cuts off a moment later, as the Red Lion steers away from the Galra. Lance follows closely behind, praying the Galra come with them.

 

“Why didn’t you want him to see you?” 

“Now isn’t the time for reunions, Keith.” Keith frown at him…. Yeah, he knows Shiro’s probably right. It would definitely distract Lance from the task at hand but… they’ve been separated for a year now…. Doesn’t that mean anything? Shiro glances at him and sighs. “I  _ do _ want to see him, you know… just… after we land…. And get away from the Galra.” 

Thankfully, the Galra actually decided to follow them. Keith watches them on the radar until suddenly, the change course and leave. He stares at the screen, puzzled.

“Huh... Why would they just give up like that?” Keith mutters. The Red Lion jolts, crashing into the Black Lion as Lance blocks their journey forward. Scowling, Keith reopens their communication. “What the hell, Lance?”

“We can’t go that way.” It takes Keith a moment to realize that voice isn’t Lance but the one of the others inside the Black Lion. The voice chimes in again. “That planet has a highly corrosive gas surrounding it. The lions would be gone in a matter of minutes.”

Well… at least that explains why the Galra left so suddenly. Keith huffs and looks to Shiro, unsure of what they should do now.

“We need to find a  _ safe _ planet to land on,” Lance says. “And preferably a little further from our solar system?” Keith huff and rolls his eyes.

“Of course, Lance,” he replies. “Just give me a minute to think.” The Red Lion rumbles around him, giving him the impression that it knows where to go. Keith looks to Shiro who just shrugs ever so helpfully. He groans. “Okay… it seems the Red Lion knows where to go? I guess we’re just gonna follow it…”

“Sometimes the best thing you can do it just trust your lion,” Lance replies. “If Red knows something then we should listen.”

The Red Lion turns and lets out a large roar. A portal opens in front of it.

Unperturbed, Lance pushes the Black Lion forward and they disappear into the void; Keith and the Red Lion following close behind.

 

The come out on the other side to a beautiful green planet. Bodies of water span the surface in intervals, connecting the larger ones together. It’s remarkably similar to Earth. 

“Is this… where their home?” Keith asks. Lance scoffs.

“Don’t be stupid, Keith,” he says. “The lions were created on Altea and that was destroyed, remember?”

“Oh… right….” Lance steers them down to the surface, letting Black just sort of guide the way. He’s not too sure where they’re going but something’s telling him to just listen to the large robot. They eventually come to a stop by some lake. Lance looks around, jaw dropping when he spots a large castle atop a cliff… with unmistakably Altean designs.

Black rumbles through their connection and leads Red over to the castle.

“Whoa…” Hunk mumbles as they land. He leans over Lance’s seat and stares out at the large structure. Pidge leans over from the other side, peering up as well.

“Is that…”

“The Castle of Lions,” Lance breaths out. “It’s been here this whole time…” Why did it never make it to Earth? Did Alfor send it away like he send Akiva and the Black Lion? Does that mean Alteans are living on this planet as well?

He looks more closely at the Castle. Vines grow around its tall pillars. It’s embedded into the ground, and appear to have been untouched for a long time. Whatever Alteans arrived in the Castle are long gone….

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Keith chimes in suddenly. “Let’s go check it out.” The lions lower their heads, allowing the group to disembark.

Keith steps one foot off the ramp and is instantly tackled. Lance’s long arms wrap around him as they fall to the ground together. He sits up, smiling down at his friend. 

“Long time, no see,” Lance says. Keith huffs, smile dancing across his own face and he sits up as well and shoves the prince off him. He stands, pulling Lance up with him and looks back up at Red.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Keith replies, gesturing up the ramp. “But… I think there’s someone else you’d rather see…” Lance stares at him for a moment, face twisting in confusion, before he follows the length of Keith’s arm up to the lion.

They hear the footsteps before they even see anyone. It takes the Altean a long moment to register who he’s looking at as they emerge from the Red Lion. He looks at the right arm, now a prosthetic, gaze sliding up it to the scar running across his face. There’s a shock of white on his bangs.

“Shiro…” Lance breaths out, tears springing to his eyes. Shiro looks just as shocked to see him, but welcomes Lance with open arms as he darts up the ramp. The pair stumbles, coming together in a tear filled reunion. Lance buries his face into Shiro’s chest, muffling a broken sob. Shiro places a hand on his head, brushing his finger through the white locks.

His own eyes burn but he refuses to let the tears fall.

“I thought I lost you…” Lance says once he’s collected himself enough to speak. He looks up into Shiro’s cloudy gaze. “You came back.” Shiro brings up a hand, brushing a stray tear off Lance’s face. His knuckle grazes the mark on his cheek. Shiro smiles.

“I-” He jerks away from Lance as the boy slaps him across the face. Holding his quickly reddening cheek, Shiro looks at his charge in shocked confusion. Lance’s shoulders shake as he glares at his former bodyguard.

“Don’t _ever_ do that again!” Shiro huffs, grimacing a little at the ache in his jaw.

“I won’t,” he says. Lance stares at him, pout forming on his face. His eyes brim with even more unshed tears. Shiro smiles and brings his hand up, closing his fingers until only his pinky is showing.

Lance scoffs, looking away from Shiro, though a smile dances at the edge of his eyes. Shiro wiggles the pinky at him. Lance looks back to it, eyes lighting up in amusement now.

“Promise?” he asks, finally meeting Shiro’s gaze. Shiro lifts his hand up more.

“It’s a promise,” he replies. “I’ll never leave you again.” Smiling, Lance hooks his pinky around Shiro’s the the two shake on it. Lance pulls him into one more hug.

“Thank you,” Lance murmurs. “For coming back to me.” He feels Shiro brush a hand through his hair before pulling away once more.

“You should thank Keith for bringing me back,” Shiro tells him. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“Well then...,” Lance replies, grabbing Shiro’s hand and leading him down the ramp. He lets go long enough to pull Keith into a hug. “Thank you, Keith.”

“I would have brought him back sooner….” Keith voice fills with regret; anger hanging just on the edge of his tone. He takes a deep breath to steady himself. “Nobody told me…”

“Um…. not that this isn’t heartfelt or anything but… can someone tell me what’s going on?” Lance laughs, pulling away from Keith to look over at Hunk and Pidge. Hunk eyes Shiro curiously while Pidge stares at some device in his hands.

“Right…. Hunk. Pidge. These are my two oldest friends,” Lance begins. He gestures to Keith and then Shiro. “Keith, and Shiro, my former bodyguard.”

“Hello,” Hunk says, waving at the pair.

“ _ Former?!” _ Shiro sputters .  Lance looks at him, expression haughty.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have gone gallivanting off into space without me,” he says.

“It’s not like it  _ chose _ to do that!” The ground rumbles, cutting off whatever reply Lance may have had. The group watches, amazed, as the lions rise and let out a large roar.

The door to the castle opens. Excitement rushes through Lance. He’s only ever heard stories of the Castle of Lions. It’s been missing for so long, many believe it’s just a myth. His family certainly though it was destroyed all those centuries ago.

Keith leads them into the castle, every pair of eyes looking around in awe. It’s dark inside, lights turning on only once they’re in and the doors have closed behind them. They enter into a foyer and a voice calls out to them, light illuminating the ground where they stand as a beam appears from above.

_ Hold for identity scan. _

Lance is just barely able to recognize the words as Altean. He glances between the rest, though Keith seems to be the only one who looks vaguely familiar with the speech.

_ Must come from being out in space for so long… _ Lance muses.  _ Though… does anyone even speak Altean anymore? Or is it a dead language like Latin? _

Either way, the castle scans them and more lights come on. The whole castle comes to life. The voice chimes in again.

_ Welcome, Prince Akiva. _

“Whoa…” Pidge mutters, gazing up in the direction of the sound. 

“It must act as a universal translator,” Hunk says, just as amazed. “But… how does it know our language? And English at that? Earth as so many different languages.”

“I don’t think it matter,” Pidge replies. “If it can translate anything then no matter what language we speak it’ll sound like we’re speaking the same thing…” He adjusts his glasses, frowning. “Maybe the lions are connected to it? So it was able to pick up our speech from them?”

“Either way… I think we’re supposed to go that way,” Keith says, pointing to the corridor before them. It lights up, inviting them further into the castle. They begin following the line of lights to where the castle is leading them.

Shiro falls behind to walk beside Lance as the group journeys down the hall. Lance is so busy taking in the castle that he doesn’t even notice at first.

“The castle thinks your Akiva,” Shiro say, amused. “Must be because you share DNA.” Lance huffs out a laugh. Ahead of them, Hunk and Pidge continue discussing the nuances of languages and translations.

“I guess so…” he replies, looking everywhere but at Shiro. There’s just so much of the castle to take in and this is only one floor! “I didn’t think we’d be close enough for something like that…Akiva’s like…. My great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather or something. Our shared DNA can’t  _ possibly _ be that much.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know about the Castle,” Shiro points out as the group begins to descend a set of stairs. He shrugs. “Maybe it’s technology is just that advanced.”

“Maybe…” Lance’s attention is drawn from the conversation and to the room they suddenly find themselves in. There are strange, raised platforms in the center of the room, creating a circle around a podium.

Pidge and Hunk step over to the podium, curiously poking at the object. It lights up and a hissing sound fills the space. Keith huffs from his spot by one of the platforms.

“Oh great…” Keith grumbles, crossing his arms. “They broke it.” Lance shakes his head, waving the moody boy off as he approaches the podium as well. He leans down, placing an ear on top of it.

“I don’t think it’s the podium…” he mutters, just as his eyes catch movement behind Hunk and Pidge. Smoke billows out of the ground as two large pods rise from below. All eyes turn to the vessels, wary but curious.

One of them opens moments later, revealing a young female inside. Lance sucks in a breath, eyes roaming form her dark skin and long, fluffy white hair, to the pink marks on her cheeks. They stop at the small tiara placed on her head, just as her eyes flutter open and she steps out in a daze.

It's eerily familiar, but Lance can't figure out why...

Shiro catches her as she stumbles and falls. She brings a hand up, gently placing it on her forehead as her brows furrow.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asks. She blinks and looks up at him.

“What…” Eyes going wide, the girl straightens and pulls out of Shiro’s grasp. She stares at him warily, looking him up and down. “Who are you? And what are you doing in my castle?”

“The lions brought us here.” She looks around at all the strange faces, ultimately landing on Lance. Her eyes begin to water as she slowly approaches him.

“It can’t be…” she mutters, lifting a hand to touch the marks on his face. Her gaze searches his as she brushes through his hair. Tears slide down her face. “I thought you were dead…”

Something clicks in Lance’s head then and his gaze twists in sorrow.

“I’m sorry…” he murmurs, grabbing her hand. “I’m not who you think I am.” What little happiness was on her face, disappears in an instant. Guilt twists in Lance’s gut, but it’s best she know now then find out the truth later. It becomes apparent, though, as she takes in his short hair, his thin body… short stature, that he’s nothing like the brother she knows and loves.

Lance releases her hand and she steps away from him, expression lost and forlorn and she looks around at the others in the room.

“I….” The second pod opens then and a man with bright orange hair and a mustache emerges. He groans, stretching his full body as he steps out of the pod. Relief floods the girl’s feature and she rushes over to his side. “Coran…” she catches him as he stumbles. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Oh! Hello, Allura,” the man, Coran, says cheerfully. He lifts a leg and wiggles it a bit. “I’m afraid I have a case of the Sleep Chamber Knees.” The girl, Allura, helps Coran down to the ground so he can sit for a moment. Once he’s seated, she moves over to the podium.

It’s only as she’s tapping away at it that Coran seems to pick up on their guest.

“Oh my…” he says, looking each of them over one by one. “I wasn’t aware we had visitors.” Shiro, ever the gentleman, approaches Coran first. He holds out a hand.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he says. “I’m Shiro. We were brought here by the Black and Red lions.” Coran regards the outstretched hand with a twist of his mustache before glance up at Shiro.

“The lions, you say?” Shiro’s hand drops, face falling as he gazes down at the ginger. Coran sighs, coming to some conclusion and grasps Shiro’s forearm. “If the lions trust you then you must be good people. Welcome to the Castle of Lions, Shiro!”

Keith seems to take that as his cue as he moves over to the older Altean next. Hunk follows close behind, though Pidge seems content to watch Allura do whatever she’s doing. Lance watches Allura’s gaze become increasingly crestfallen. No doubt she’s coming to some conclusion… and Lance knows she’s not going to like the results.

“Lance.” He nearly jumps, heart skipping a beat as Hunk calls him over. Slowly, he approaches the small group.

“You look just like him,” Coran comments as the young prince comes into view. He holds out his hand. “I take it you must be Lance then?”

“Um…” Lance stares at the hand, nervous for some unknown reason. Shiro nudges him into shaking Coran’s hand. “Yeah… that’s me.” Coran hums thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he looks Lance over. He grabs Lance’s hand and holds it up for inspection.

“Yep,” Coran concludes. “A bit scrawnier but the spitting image of Alfor nonetheless.”

_ Alfor?! _ Lance stares at the man, confused and mildly disoriented. Nobody’s ever compared him to the late king before. Coran smiles, patting Lance’s shoulder, a knowing glint in his eyes as he steps away from the prince and over to Allura.

“How’s it going, Princess?” Allura taps away at the screen, troubled by what the data is showing her. Coran takes a peek himself but patiently waits her response.

“I don’t understand…” she mutters. “According to this data we’ve been asleep for ten thousand phoebs! This  _ can’t _ be right.”

“Oh it’s right, alright.” Allura glances at Pidge with a frown as he stares at the information. He adjusts his glasses and looks up at her. “Alteans have been on Earth as far back as anyone can remember.”

“ _ Earth?! _ ”

“Our home planet,” Pidge offers.

“But… the Alteans…” Allura trails off, mind racing as she tries to piece everything together. He expression darkens as it all begins to sink in and memories of her last moments come forward. “ _ Zarkon. _ ” She looks around the group at everyone present, anger flaring. “Where is he?”

“Not here,” Keith growls. Allura looks at him, anger simmer under the surface of her dual colored eyes.

“He’s still alive?” she asks, voice eerily calm.

“That can’t be possible,” Coran says. “The Galra may have long lives but certainly not  _ that  _ long.”

“Well, Zarkon’s still alive,” Keith snaps. Lance and Shiro throw him disapproving looks. There’s not need for such hostility right now.

“Don’t mind him,” Shiro says, slowly drawing his gaze away from the moody boy to face Allura. “Zarkon’s been spreading his empire across the galaxy, enslaving thousands of planets.”

“Why hasn’t anyone tried to stop him?!” Allura snaps, rounding on Lance. She points an accusing finger at him. “And you! What have you been doing all this time to allow such a thing to happen?!”

“We’ve been protecting our people!” Lance snaps back, anger flaring as he slaps her hand out of his face. “Don’t act all high and mighty when you’ve done nothing but sleep!”

A hand comes down between them, slicing through the mounting tension.

“Alright, that’s enough of that,” Coran says, looking between the two. “Bickering won’t get us anywhere.” Lance huffs, crossing his arms and turning away from Allura with a pout. Shiro places a comforting hand on his shoulder and the tension eases just the slightest bit. Coran eyes Allura for a moment before looking to Shiro. “You came in the Black and Red lions, yes?”

“Yeah.” Coran nods, twirling the end of his mustache in thought.

“Then our top priority is retrieving the remaining three,” he concludes. He gestures back up the stairs they came from. “Right this way.” 

One by one, they begin filing out of the room, only stopping when Coran notices Allura, staring at her pod.

“Is something wrong, princess?” he asks as the others turn around to see what’s happening.

“I can hear something…” she mutters, stepping back over to the sleep pod. She kneels, reaching inside and coming out with a quartet of mice in her hands. They squeak at her, looking around curiously. Allura smiles, eyes lighting up in wonder. “I can understand them! It’s like we have a telepathic connection!”

Three of them climb up onto her shoulders, two stopping there with the third moving atop her head.She gently pets the belly of the remaining mouse as she makes her way back over to the group.

“I will have to find names for them…”

“Perhaps we can do that up on the bridge then?” Coran suggests, urging her to keep up with the others. “I need to run a diagnostics and you lot need to find the lions.”

“Yes, of course,” she replies, letting the last mouse up on her shoulder. It burrows into her hair chirping happily. Allura looks at the small group walking in front of them. Hunk and Pidge have once again launched into a conversation about the castle. It makes her smile to see someone will share Coran’s love of maintaining the large ship.

Her gaze slides over to the boy next to Hunk. He keeps glancing back at her, dark gaze suspicious as they move through the castle. She frowns, catching his eyes. They widen in surprise and quickly turn back forward.

Allura looks to the final pair, wandering far ahead of the others. Their heads tilt towards one another, no doubt lost in some private conversation. The Altean gestures with his hand and the other laughs. She can’t help but feel curious about the boy and his friends.

“So,” Coran starts. “These are the new paladins, hm?”

“I suppose so…” Allura replies, watching all of them closely. Their auras radiate off them in varying intensities. Hunk and Pidge are perhaps the brightest, though she’s not sure if that’s due to their compatibility or because of the colors in general.

Hunk gives off the color of the sun; happy and bright. It fills Allura with joy. She can sense a strong desire to do what’s right from him… though there’s a hesitancy and caution underneath it all. He’s loyal then, but not one to rush head first into things without a plan.

Pidge, the smallest of the bunch, gives off a certain type of curiosity about the universe. Allura can feel the need to learn and know more. A critical thinker, then, capable of creative problem solving and tackling any issue head on. Pidge is smart, always asking questions to grasp better understanding of the subject. Allura can’t help but be reminded of another just like him.

Allura looks to Keith next, taking in the fire rolling off him in waves. Impulsive. Rash. He acts more off instinct than anything else. There’s something about him, she notices, that’s hidden; a strange shimmer encasing his aura. Allura watches him for a long moment, trying to decipher its meaning. Even so… she can only assume he’s the one who piloted the Red Lion to the castle.

The last two, Allura notices, are a bit more difficult to figure out. Their auras blend together seamlessly, entwined in way she can’t tell which comes from which as the blues and blacks swirl around them. Perhaps, they’re standing too close… or they share a destiny only she is privy to. Possibly, the most likely, the pair just share a special bond from a long time spent together...

Much like her father and mother.

“Being my brother’s descendant, I can only assume Lance is meant to be the Black Paladin,” she mutters, brows drawing together in thought. “Though... “ She watches him more closely, squinting in an attempt to see beyond the facade. “I sense a hesitancy from him... a lack of confidence perhaps? But Shiro…”

Allura watches the way he carries himself, the relaxed set of his shoulders. His calm, confident demeanor. A take charge attitude yet willingness to help others. Someone who will lead by example. Yet… underneath that….

She blinks, trying once again to decipher which aura belongs to them. With a shake of her head, she gives up the attempt.

“I don’t know…”

“Well perhaps that’s something best left to the lions?” Coran suggests.

“I suppose so…” she replies. “It is ultimately their choice after all.”

 

Coran makes a beeline for the control panel the second they step onto the bridge. A large cloud of dust enters the air as he blows on it. He coughs, hacking up the dust inhaled as the others look around the space. 

“Just need to get the ship’s navigation up and running and we’ll be good to get those lions!” Coran says. Allura watches him fiddle with the control panel, a fond smile slowly forming on her face, as she looks back to the paladins. 

“I take it you know of Voltron then?” she asks as she waves her hand and a map of the universe appears around them. One by one, the lions appear on the map. “It takes five lions and a strong bond with their paladins to come together and form Voltron.”

The lions circle around them and come together. In a flash, Voltron rises above the group. Lance huffs, crossing his arms. Of course they know the story of Voltron. Who does she think they are?

“King Alfor connected Allura’s lifeforce to the lions,” Coran comments. “Only she knows how to locate them.” He brings up a screen and jumps as it throws an error. “Oh quiznack.”

“Do you need help?” Hunk offers but Coran just shakes his head and waves him off.

“No, no. I’m quite alright.” Allura watches Hunk thoughtfully, warmed by his offer even if it wasn’t directed towards her. Selflessness. A need to help others. Coran glances back at them. “It should be operational in just a tick!”

“A tick?” Pidge mutters.

“I can find the lions,” Allura says, getting everyone back on task. It would do no good to get distracted now. “However, the bond between lion and paladin is sacred. Only those with compatible quintessence can pilot them… and even then you must have the qualities each lion looks for in a partner.”

The lions appear once again as the group quietly listens to the princess. She looks between them. At the way their auras blend and swirl around each other. Together, Allura can see how they can come together as a team and form Voltron.

“Since the lions are so far apart, though,” she continues. “I think it would be best to split up and send you to the lion you are likely to be most compatible with. After that, it’s entirely up to the lion.”

“Pidge and Hunk are the Green and Yellow Paladins,” Lance says suddenly. Allura huffs, frowning at him. Did he not hear a word she just said?

“That is not for you to decide,” she replies.

“I’m not,” he retorts, rolling his eyes. “The Black Lion already showed me and obviously, Keith is piloting Red.” Allura stares at him for a long moment, mulling over his words. If the Black Lion is showing him things then Lance is either gifted like her or they have a special connection. Still… her gaze slides over to Shiro. She can’t help but feel he’s more suited as the head of Voltron.

“And what of the Black and Blue lions?” she asks. His confidence falters, doubt leaking through the tiniest of cracks. He glance at Shiro, unsure of the answer himself as his arms slowly uncross. It’s enough to tell Allura all she needs to know. “Perhaps you and Shiro should retrieve the Blue Lion together. Let  _ it _ make the decision?”

“Very well then,” Shiro says, glancing briefly at Lance before looking back to Allura. “Lance and I will get the Blue Lion. Keith, take Hunk to get the Yellow Lion.” He looks back at the holograms floating around them. “It looks like the Green Lion is on the way to the blue one so Pidge can come with us.”

“And I will help Coran test the castle’s defenses,” Allura replies with a smile.

“Then it’s settled,” Shiro responds. “Once the navigation is fully operational, we’ll go get the lions back.”

 

Pidge, Lance and Shiro watch the Red Lion rise from the ground and shoot off into the sky. Lance watches them go, wishing he had been sent with Hunk instead of Keith. Something tells him this mission won’t be as easy as Coran claims… it  _ has _ been ten thousand years after all. Their information is definitely out dated. 

At least he gets to spend some time with Shiro to finish catching up on everything…. And quality time with Pidge is always fun.

“You guys ready?” he asks as they turn towards the Black Lion. Shiro and Pidge steps up next to him, the trio gaze up at Black. Lance moves forward, watching Black carefully as he comes to a stop right in front of the lion. A frown slowly forms on his face as it remains motionless, refusing to let him in.

“Hellooo,” he calls up to the robot, waving his hand about. “You gonna let us in?” Lance’s hand drops back to his side a dread begins to wash over him.

The Black Lion’s rejecting him.

Again.

His gaze slowly falls to the ground, eyes burning. How? Black let him pilot them to the castle… Black accepted him back on Earth so… why is he being rejected now?

Because there’s someone more suited to lead.

Lance looks back to Shiro, who’s watching him closely, concern coloring his gaze.He swallows down a sob, and looks back up at Black. Heaving a sigh, and blinking back tears, Lance turns around to face his companions. 

“Hey, Shiro,” he says, voice surprisingly steady. “I think the Black Lion wants you.” He throws a thumb over his shoulder. Hesitantly, Shiro approached, Pidge in tow. Shiro stares at the prince for a moment before look up at the lion.

“Are you sure?” Shiro asks, looking back at Lance. Lance can feel the tears returning but smiles and nods. He can deal with the hurt later…. When he can be alone. His mind drifts back to the communicator in his back. Maybe his mom will know something.

Lance watches, heart aching as the Black Lion crouches down to let Shiro in. They step inside, allowing the lion to swallow them. Once the trio is situated, Black follows Shiro’s lead and they rise into the sky, following after the Red Lion.

Allura opens a wormhole and they disappear through it.

Lance can’t help but hope that the Blue Lion will be more accepting of him. He doesn’t know if he can handle rejection from  _ two _ lions.

That would just hurt too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope none of you expected me to make it THAT easy for our dear blue boy! Also, I love Lance and Blue's relationship so much and it still hurts my heart to know he ended up with Red (even tho they make a great pair as well). Just bear with me though, and keep reading to see how the lion match ups play out!!! 
> 
> It always bothered me in the series that the Castle (ancient and old AF) just knew what language they were all speaking, despite never making it to Earth. I like to think that when the Castle does the initial scan, it acts as a universal translator, though some words don't translate due to not having a word for it in our language??? As for why it chose English?? Well... all of the Paladins speak it fluently... so it makes sense it would use a common language (I'm sure I could have mentioned this in the story but... eh, details). 
> 
> And finally, Allura can see auras!!! Which is why she knows who MIGHT be compatible with the lions but IT'S STILL ULTIMATELY THEIR CHOICE. Except Lance already knows because Black showed him. It always bothered me that she just... knew and then sort of waved it off later when asked about it so... I guess this was my solution to that problem.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! 
> 
> Until next time!


	4. The Yellow Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright!!!! And I am back with another chapter!!! The temporary hiatus was... sort of unplanned? My girlfriend and I moved again so we were a bit busy with life and packing and stuff.... 
> 
> But now I'm unpacked and somewhat settled so I was able to get this chapter finished. I got hit with a short moment of writer's block and had to take a small break from this story to focus on other stories. 
> 
> Speaking of which, I've started shifting my focus a bit more onto my original stories. What that means is, I'm not abandoning this fanfiction or putting it on hold. This story will be put on the backburner for now, but I will still be writing it and updating, since I'll need breaks from my other stories every now and then. 
> 
> Lost Prince will update as I get chapters finished and posted, but updates will be sporadic. Please don't let this prompt you to drop the story though! I'm determined to see this project through to the end, it might just take awhile to get there. 
> 
> As always, thanks for everyone's endless support! Kudos and comments mean the world to me and fill me with joy! 
> 
> If anyone wants to hit me up with questions or read some of my original stories you can find them over on my blog: artemiswinters.tumblr.com

There’s a tense silence between them, thick enough inside the cockpit to feel suffocating. Keith’s trying in vain to ignore Hunk but the large boy keeps looking at him every ten seconds. He knows because he’s been counting as Red takes them to their destination. Hunk definitely has something on his mind, but he’s just not saying it. Why isn’t he saying it?! Wouldn’t it just be easier to get it over with? 

Keith takes a steadying breath, trying to push down his mounting irritation. Hunk looks at him again, opens his mouth and then closes it. Keith growls, scowling out at the stars around them. They’re supposed to be teammates… to get along. What would Shiro think if he got into a fight now? 

The cycle repeats.

Glance. Mouth opens then closes. He looks away. Keith counts to ten. Hunk’s looking at him again. Keith grits his teeth. 

Repeat.

A glance, this time with Hunk drumming his fingers against his thigh. Still… he doesn’t say anything, looking away quickly like Keith can’t see him watching. Hunk sighs.

“ _ What? _ ” Keith snaps, patience finally at its limit. Hunk startles next to him, eyes quickly finding his. “What do you  _ possibly _ have to say, Hunk? Just spit it out already!” They stare at each other before Hunk decides to finally speak.

It’s like a dam bursting. 

“Well…” he starts. “I was just wondering somethings, ya know? Like… how did you find the Red Lion? Was Shiro with it or were you with Shiro? And for how long? Speaking of… what’s a human like you doing way out in space? I know Shiro was taken by the Galra but… what’s your story?” 

Oh… right… he forgot he put the pendant back on… 

“I left Earth a few years before Shiro was taken,” Keith replies. “Been out here ever since.” 

“Oh… why?” 

“After my dad…” he trails off, eyes burning suddenly. It’s been awhile since he last thought about it. Keith sighs, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “After my dad died, I left to live with my mom.” 

“Oh…”

A beat of silence. 

“So… are you Altean like Lance then?” 

“No.” 

“But you’re like… half human, right?” Hunk asks. “I mean… nobody has ever left our solar system before… well, except Shiro… and now us, I guess… does that mean your mom came to Earth?” 

“Look,” Keith growls. “Can we just… focus on getting the Yellow Lion?”  Hunk falls silent, mouth clamping shut as he turns away from Keith. Fuck… why is he so bad at this? They should be bonding right now... Keith huffs. “I’m sor-”

“No, no,” Hunk say, holding his hands up. “Touchy subject, I get it. Didn’t mean to pry. Won’t happen again.”   

A beat of silence passes between them. 

“So…. do you think this planet is really friendly?” Hunk asks, drumming his fingers on his leg. 

“Who knows? The castle’s information is ten thousand years old.” Hunk nods, humming thoughtfully. 

“But what if it’s not?” Hunk questions, anxiety rising in his voice. “And they try to kill us? I’m not a fighter, Keith. I can’t kill anything!” Keith looks to his companion, blinking in astonishment. 

“Calm down, Hunk,” he says. “I’ve been training in combat my whole life and I’m one of the most skilled pilots you’ll meet. I’ll get us there safely.” 

“But we’re just one lion…. And they’re…” Hunk tosses his hands in the air, gesturing at nothing. “They’re more than one lion. We’ll be outnumbered.” 

“Not once we have the yellow lion…” Keith replies. 

“But  _ I’m _ not a pilot!” Keith huffs, looking out into space with a frown. He gets it, really he does. He’s met many others in the Blade that panic just as much before a mission… mostly in the newbies, but even seasoned members get nervous. Hell… even  _ he _ gets nervous from time to time. 

“Look,” Keith offers, trying to maintain a sense of calm confidence. “The planet is small and it’s unlikely anything hostile is located there. All we have to do is get the lion and return to Arus. It’ll be easy.” 

Hunk eyes him skeptically, frown crossing his face, but ultimately settles down. He’s not too sure why, but something tells him Keith can be trusted. Maybe it’s Lance’s faith in the boy from space… or that Keith managed to return the fabled Shiro to Earth. 

Or it could be that a lion of Voltron chose Keith as its paladin…. 

Either way, Hunk  _ knows _ he can trust Keith. 

 

Screaming fills Red’s cockpit as Keith throws the lion into a barrel roll. The Galra cruisers fire at them but miss as he steers them into a sharp nosedive. 

“This…” Hunk shouts, face turning green. “Is  _ not _ ….” His cheeks puff up, hand flying to his mouth before he’s swallowing down bile and shouting again. “Friendly!” 

Okay so… the planet was definitely  _ not _ friendly and Coran’s information was one hundred percent out dated… Keith knew he should have double checked before leaving. It was foolish of him to go into a mission without verifying the data. Kolivan would be so disappointed in him if he knew…. 

“The yellow lion is somewhere underground,” Keith says, dodging around a corner as the Galra fire on them. He spots a cave entrance and aims Red for it. “I’m dropping you at that cave. Go and find the lion from there while I hold the Galra off!” 

“I can’t do that!” 

“You’re gonna have to!” Keith snaps as they come up on the cave. Gritting his teeth, he pulls Red up, her paws dragging up the cliffside as he brings her back around. He glances at Hunk. “I can’t fight them off on my own.” 

Hunk sighs, but takes a moment to steel himself. Keith’s right and if he wants to get off this planet then he needs to get to the yellow lion. The sooner he gets it the sooner they get back to the castle. 

“Fine,” He says and turns to leave the cockpit, getting into position. Keith drops him moments later, spinning right back around to lead the Galra away from the cave. Hunk watches him go before quickly descending into the depths of the planet. 

Getting to the lion from there is fairly easy. 

Yellow is large. Not quite as large as Black but larger, probably, than the other three lions. He stares up at the robot in awe, thoughts whirling through his head. Hunk may not be a pilot but he  _ is _ an engineer, and this lion? This feat of technology? It’s literally legendary… never before been replicated, and he can’t wait to get inside and figure out how it works. 

Magic, Lance once told him. The lions were created from some type of meteor and Alfor created them with technology far more advanced than that on Earth. Alchemy, though, is what brought it all together. Still… nobody’s too sure if it’s alchemy or the meteor itself that makes them somewhat sentient. 

Excitement coursing through him, Hunk taps on the barrier and it drops instantly. He quickly climbs inside, Yellow’s control panels lighting up as the lion comes to life. With an echoing roar, the lion lifts off the ground and charges through the rocks above. 

He bursts out of the ground and lands on a pair of Galra cruisers that had Keith cornered. 

“Good job, Hunk.” Keith’s face pops up on a screen to his left as Yellow rises to his feet. Hunk grins, throwing Keith a thumbs up before turning to face the remaining Galra.

“This lion’s got some serious armor on it,” he says. “I guess it makes up for the lack of speed…” The lion doesn’t even flinch as lasers hit him. “Are we taking them out or what?” 

“We need to get back to the wormhole,” Keith replies as Red takes to the air. “It’s going to close soon.” 

“Right…” Yellow takes to the air and follows after Keith. “I hope Coran’s information isn’t  _ entirely _ outdated…” 

“I’m sure the others are fine,” Keith replies. He hopes they’re doing fine at least…. “Might already be back by now.” 

“Only one way to know.” 

The wormhole closes behind them with a flash. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! 
> 
> Until next time!!! =)


End file.
